


A Tale of the Trickster and the Spider: Part 2

by Madame_Edna_Capeless_Authoress, MissBoaBoa



Series: A Tale of the Trickster and the Spider [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Asgardian Culture (Marvel), Asgardian Liquor, Dress Up, Epic Bromance, Epic Friendship, F/M, Falling In Love, Family Feels, Fluff, Frost Spider, Going on an Adventure, Humor, Idiots in Love, Intergalactic adventure, Loki can't stand Midgard's heat, Love Confessions, M/M, Old-Fashioned Steve Rogers, Pool Party, Sexual Tension, Stony - Freeform, Stucky - Freeform, Thor (Marvel) is a Good Bro, book lovers, dolled up, meeting the family in law, super family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2018-10-15
Packaged: 2019-06-25 21:05:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 58,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15648933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madame_Edna_Capeless_Authoress/pseuds/Madame_Edna_Capeless_Authoress, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissBoaBoa/pseuds/MissBoaBoa
Summary: After the crazy prom and the great marvelous mess they encountered on their return, Peter and Loki wake up to figure out their relationship to one another. In the meantime, feelings are stirring among some of the other Avengers as well. With pool parties, dance-offs, new friendships and intergalactic trips, Part 2 of A Tale of the Trickster and the Spider will feature some of your favorite Avengers, as well as new ones and original characters. Prepare for feels, fluff, humor and, once again, take our advice and choose your reading environment carefully ;P. Enjoy!





	1. The Morning After Magic

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! 
> 
> Welcome to the start of Part 2 of A Tale of the Trickster and the Spider!
> 
> First of all, we would like to thank you again for all your amazing comments and your questions about the next part of the story. It is so awesome to see how much you guys like this tale! We have been working on the general timeline of all the different parts of this story and we are glad to say that we have most of the story line figured out and ready to write!
> 
> Part 2 pretty much starts where the after-story of Part 1 left off, so you guys did not miss much in the meantime (or did you though?). Please let us know what you think of our story! Now, without further ado, please enjoy chapter one of A Tale of the Trickster and the Spider!!!
> 
> P.S. Try to find the new additional characters in the description or just read and find out! Also, check the new additional Tags and let us know which Tag you are most excited for!
> 
> P.P.S. If you are new to this story, first of all: WELCOME!!! Secondly, this is Part 2 of the series A Tale of the Trickster and the Spider, so please read Part 1 first, it will help you understand where this story comes from. Enjoy!

'I hate broad daylight...' the playboy complaint as he threw his car keys on the table with one hand, holding a large café Americano in the other, the bright green logo hardly visible under his clenched fingers. 'Why does it have to be so freaking sunny already? It's only,' Tony looked at his watch but immediately lowered his wrist with a deep sigh, 'Well, I bet it's really early.' 

'Yeah, I agree,' the Captain chuckled a little, 'maybe we should go exercise, that will work wonders, I bet.' 

At this, the billionaire remained silent for a moment and although Steve couldn't see his eyes underneath those dark sunglasses, he was quite sure his friend was frowning at him. 

'Steve, listen carefully. The only exercise I will be doing right now is moving my body from here to all the way over there,' Tony reacted, a bit grumpy, pointing at the stairs that would bring him to a comfortable bed. 

‘Suit yourself, Tony, but you won’t get over your hangover like that,’ Steve replied with a smile. 

‘Oh, you’ll see,’ Tony smirked. 

In the meanwhile, Natasha was sitting on a barstool in the kitchen, playing with a spoon, carefully stirring a cup of piping hot coffee. 

'You're up early,' Steve smiled as he noticed her ever-stealthy presence, throwing away his empty cup of coffee. 

'Look who’s talking,' Natasha smirked, but her eyes were quickly pulled towards the grumpy figure walking straight towards the halls. ‘You know, Tony, hangovers don’t look as good on you as I had figured,’ she remarked with a smirk, still stirring the spoon in a zigzag movement through her coffee cup. 

‘Cute, exactly the comment I needed, Romanoff,’ Tony snappily replied, choosing to lie down on the sofa instead of walking all the way to his bedroom. 

Steve smiled a little and opened the door to peek into the living room. 'Everyone's still out cold, must have been quite the party,' he then frowned a little, 'Was it though?' 

‘And not just for us,’ Natasha remarked, biting her lip after her comment to stop herself from too hastily saying more. 

Steve looked at her in surprise. ‘What do you mean, Nat?’ 

‘Well, I might have overheard some talking last night, between our prom birds, and, well...’ 

‘Yes?’ 

'Well, it's just that,’ the red-head started, but her attention was then pulled towards the playboy when she heard him let out a whiney sigh, 'Tony, could you please be a man and stop moping for a second? I have something you might... might want to hear.' 

Tony merely gave a low grunt in reply, turning around on the sofa to face Romanoff. ‘You have all the attention I can conjure up for the moment. Go.’ 

'Okay, well, yesterday evening, I-' Natasha tried but her story got interrupted. 

‘Ah, my good friends!’ Thor shouted with a smile as he entered the room. ‘I want to thank you for the feast the other day. It has been a while since I have feasted as royally as I have last night.’ 

‘Shush, Thor, Nat wants to tell us something important,’ Tony said in a teasing manner, looking at Natasha in expectation. ‘Must be a good story if she is so eager to tell me in the state I’m in.’ 

'A good story?' Thor asked, never losing his smile, 'Please, Lady Widow, allow me to join in.' He sat down on the couch next to Tony while Steve handed him a cup of tea. 

Natasha stared at the three men for a second, 'Yes, maybe it's best if you hear this as well,' she sighed. 'Okay, so, it's about Loki and Peter…' 

'Yeah, have you seen them come home last night?' Steve asked, a slight hint of worry in his voice. 

‘I have, actually, I had apparently ended up in the wrong bedroom, I bet somebody was sleeping in mine,’ Natasha chuckled, while Scott Lang walked into the room. 

‘Morning, everyone,’ he said with a smile, though his drowsy eyes betrayed him. 

‘What are you doing here?’ Tony asked him, raising his cup to point him out. ‘You weren’t here before.’ 

‘No, no, you called me, remember? You said you were throwing the most amazing party—and you didn’t lie, let’s be honest—so, yeah, I came here somewhere around midnight and crashed in one of the rooms over there. Thank you,’ he said to Tony as he snatched the coffee out of his hands, ‘I needed that.’ He sat down next to Steve. ‘Captain.’ 

‘Lang,’ Steve replied with a smile and a nod. 

‘Okay this is so cool, oh I said that out loud, it's just so great to be sitting here with you guys without, you know, trying to murder one another.' He smiled, nodding as he thought back to their epic battle on the airport. 

'Murder one another?' Thor repeated with a questioning frown and he looked at his fellow Avengers. 

'Oh, yeah! That's right, you weren't here. Well, never mind, we're all friends again, that's what matters most, right?' Scott smiled, 'I'm Scott by the way, Scott Lang, also known as Ant-Man,' he said as he raised his hand in a lazy wave while taking another sip of his, or rather Tony’s, coffee. 

'Thor,' the god replied a little questioningly, 'Thor Odinson, god of thunder,' he added, 'It is my pleasure to meet you, Man of Ants.' 

'Man of...?' Scott repeated, though a chuckle disrupted his sentence, 'Okay, this is so cool, anyway, you were discussing... something?’ 

'Indeed,’ Thor said with a smile, ’The good lady was about to tell us a terrific story about my brother and the Spiderboy.’ 

‘Spiderman,’ Tony sighed, one of his hands covering his eyes as he listened to his ridiculous companions rambling on while all he really wanted was to get some sleep. 

'Wait, does that make Spiderman Man-of-Spiders?' Scott asked with a bright smile as he looked at Thor, who merely nodded at him, wondering what part of that was so amusing. 

'Yeah, uhm, terrific,' Natasha quickly repeated, 'Well-' 

'Hey, Captain, uhm, Steve, is it okay if I call you Steve?' Scott said, interrupting Natasha again, 'What was that drink you gave me last night, by the way?' 

'It was mead, I’m afraid. Thor gave it to me, it's from Asgard,' Steve answered with a slightly guilty smile. 

‘Mead, huh? Sounds great! Goes straight to the brain, that stuff. I don't know where this Asgard store is, but I'll be sure to check it out sometime!' 

'Yes, I dare to say it is the finest drink of Asgard,' Thor spoke with a proud smile, 'Though,' he now turned his attention to Steve, 'it is not supposed to be enjoyed by mortal men.' 

'Hey, hey, it's okay, big guy, I survived!' Scott quickly smiled in defence. 'Hey, does this make me some sort of secret god? A demi-god maybe?' 

'Could you two please shut up?!' Tony interfered as his headache started to increase. 'Just let Nat tell her story so I can go to bed.' 

'Didn’t take you for a bedtime story kind of guy, Tony,' Scott smiled, chuckling at his own joke. His smile soon faded as he saw the highly irritated eyes of his host peering at him. 'Yeah, okay, I'll shut up, sorry,' he said as he quietly took a sip from the stolen coffee. 

‘Right,’ Natasha said, fumbling with the spoon in her hand. ‘Well, I had ended up in Loki’s room, by accident of course...’ 

‘Oh my g-, you slept with a god?’ Antman asked wide-eyed, his coffee nearly spouting out of his mouth. 

'Wait, you did what?' Thor asked in a slight panic, looking at Natasha in all seriousness. 

‘NO!’ Natasha shouted. ‘No, not like that. Anyway, I was sleeping there when the two of them came home, so I heard them talking...’ 

At that moment they heard two voices screaming upstairs. 

'Peter!’ Steve shouted, immediately rushing up the stairs despite his slight headache. 

‘And my brother!’ Thor shouted in worry, rushing after the Captain. 

'Maybe it's best if we stay here,' Natasha warned Scott, who was already jumping to his feet to follow the two. 'I think the two of them can handle this just fine,' Natasha then muttered, 'I hope...' 

‘Damn it, Steve, I said I wouldn’t exercise,’ Tony shouted in frustration as he got up from the couch with a huge sigh. ‘I’m on my way.’ 

Natasha and Scott watched their host slowly make his way up the stairs until he was out of sight. 

‘Can I-’ Scott started, but Natasha shook her head, her eyes warning him one last time. 

As the two blondes sprinted up the stairs, they heard a door violently swing open, followed by a young teen running down the hallway wearing nothing but his underwear. 

'I AM SO SORRY, MISTER LOKI!' they heard the boy shout and Thor and Steve stared at each other for a second. 

'What the...?' Steve managed to utter as his eyes followed Peter again, after which both men shouted ‘PETER!’ as they started to run after him. They raced down the stairs, straight past Tony who was still working his way up the stairs. 

‘OH COME ON! I WAS ALMOST THERE!’ Tony shouted, panting louder now. ‘You couldn’t wait just a minute longer?!’ he yelled after his friends, turning around to follow them down the stairs again. ‘Damn super humans,’ he murmured under his breath, which was beginning to run out, causing him to hold onto the railing firmly as he moved with small steps down the staircase. 

The three almost crushed into the teen as Peter came to a sudden stop. Without saying a word, he turned around, hardly seeming to notice them at all, and he walked up the stairs again towards his bedroom. 'Uhm, Mister Loki,' he said a bit hesitantly, watching the raven struggle to get back on his feet, as he had fallen out of bed. 'So uhm, well, funny thing is, uhm, this, this is my room, you are in my bed, haha-ha, uhm, yeah,' he tried to explain in a nervous chuckle. 'You need a hand there?' he asked, kindly offering the god his hand. 

'What in the name of the Norns, Peter?!' Loki hissed as he slapped the teen’s hand away from him. He stood up on his own, his hang-over kindly reminding him of the force called gravity that nearly pushed him straight back to the floor again. Now standing in his underwear and a slightly too short baseball shirt Peter had offered him the night before, he looked at the teen. 'Why did you start screaming at me like that?!' 

‘I don’t know! You startled me!’ 

‘I STARTLED YOU?!’ 

'Brother?!' Thor managed to speak, 'By Odin's beard, what is the meaning of this?!’ 

It was only now that the two noticed the three men, staring at them in the doorway. Thor looking the raven up and down in confusion, Steve supporting his million-dollar friend who was panting heavily as his eyes darted from Loki to Peter. 

'M-mister Odinson!' Peter stammered, 'Steve, T-Tony...' 

‘Good morning to you too, brother. I see the mead has done its work?’ Loki said with a smirk, trying to distract the attention from himself and Peter. 

‘You have no clue...’ Peter chuckled, remembering fragments of last night, but he would have swallowed his tongue if he could as all eyes were now on him, especially Loki’s who were about to burn a hole through him if they could. 

‘Alright, I call for a family meeting downstairs, now,’ Tony said sternly, walking down the stairs again. ‘And remind me to build an elevator! I hate these damn stairs!’ he shouted. 

'Family meeting?' Loki frowned and then shrugged, 'Good luck, Peter. I am taking a bath, I shall pray for your wellbeing,' he mumbled as he forced himself to take a few unsteady steps forward, even though his head was screaming at him to just crawl back into the teen's bed. 

‘Oh no, you will not, brother,’ Thor said with something that might have been called a malicious smile. ‘We are family, are we not?’ 

'… I am adopted,' Loki said, wanting to walk past his older brother. 'Now, if you will excuse me-' 

But Thor firmly grasped his arm as the trickster tried to move past him. ‘Family is family, little brother. We are going downstairs, right now.’ 

'Why? For what reason?!' Loki snarled in defence, immediately retrieving his arm. 

‘Perhaps you could tell us, brother,’ Thor said, his face bearing an investigative smile, ‘I am sure we would all like to know what happened last night.’ 

'I do not believe it is of your concern, Thor,' the raven replied in a dark voice. 

'Uhm, Loki,' Peter interrupted the arguing Asgardians, 'Maybe we should just go downstairs, I mean, it's not like anything weird happened, right?' 

'Peter, I am the god of mischief... I was in a dress, on a Midgardian festival for teens... Might I ask you what your exact definition of "weird" is? Because if this is not weird then I-' 

'You four coming or what?!' Tony shouted from downstairs. 

‘We’ll be right there,’ Steve shouted, looking at the others. ‘You heard him guys, downstairs.’ He turned around to walk down the hallway, but changed his mind and looked at the trickster and the teen once more. 'Though we will give you a minute to get dressed first.' He smiled a little and continued to walk down the hallway.


	2. The Interrogation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone and welcome back! 
> 
> Thank you all, again, for all your awesome and enthusiastic comments, it was truly amazing and heartwarming!
> 
> I really do not have a lot more to say, so, without further ado, I can only say; enjoy!

 

After getting dressed, Loki and Peter entered the living room filled with the three waiting adults. Tony and Steve were sitting next to each other on the couch, while Thor was leaning against a wall, his arms crossed. 

Unimpressed by the three Avengers, Loki made his way for the bowl of fruits on the countertop of the kitchen. He grabbed a few grapes, eating them peacefully though his stomach was begging him to shove every piece of food he could get his hands on down his throat immediately. 

At that moment Clint walked into the room, yawning loudly and blinking his eyes sleepily.  

‘Hey, what’s going on here?’ 

‘Get out, Clint,’ Tony stated bluntly, not even bothering to look at the archer.  

‘What? But I was about to get some cof-’  

‘OUT!’ Tony shouted in frustration, causing Clint to withdraw to his room without further questions. 

Loki let out a soft snort, causing the others to look at him. 'What?' he asked, raising a cocky brow. 

‘Please tell me what’s so funny,’ Tony said, crossing his arms as his mouth showed a smirk.  

'First of all,' Loki started, ready to give his host a sneer, or, as he heard Midgardians refer to it, a burn.  

‘Was last night funny, by any chance?' Tony interrupted the god, 'I wouldn’t know, for as you have probably noticed, I have the mother of all hangovers lodging in my head, so please, tell me more.’ 

‘Your evening must have been _very_ funny, if you look like this as a result,’ Loki smiled. 

'Uhm, yes, well, the uhm, _funny_ thing is,' Peter tried to intervene as he sat down on a barstool, his legs dangling down feverishly.  

'Wait, wait,' Loki interrupted his friend as he turned to face the Iron Man again, ‘Why exactly would we have to share such information with you?'  

‘Well, I happened to be your host, of the both of you, actually, and besides that I also happen to be his... tutor, mentor, whatever. What am I to tell his hot Aunt May? He went to prom but I didn’t ask what it was like? She’d kill me.’ 

'Well, it was rather enjoyable,' Loki snapped as he crossed his arms. 'You can tell her that.' 

'Little brother, maybe you should give Peter a chance to speak as well,' Thor said, straightening his back and broadening his shoulders somewhat as he took a step towards the two. 

Peter jumped up from his chair in a panic. ’You can't tell Aunt May, Tony! Please!’ 

‘Tell her what, exactly?’ Tony asked, smiling as he noticed that his strategy was working. His smile widened even further as he saw the god of mischief placing a hand in front of his eyes while uttering a deep sigh. 

‘Choose your words carefully, Peter...’ Loki tried to warn him. 

‘So we kissed, but that was all!’ Peter shouted. 

At this, Loki nearly choked on one of his grapes, coughing loudly as tears set in his eyes. He held up his hand towards his older brother who was already taking another threatening step towards the teen, 'Is that what you call careful, you dunce?!' he yelled at Peter. 

‘Well, I didn’t tell them about the roof, did I?’ Peter asked the trickster in a desperate attempt to defend himself, causing the blond Captain to raise a brow, while the blond god raised his hammer.  

'The roof?' the two asked simultaneously, Tony merely awaiting an explanation in silence. 

'Now you have done it, Peter,' Loki said as he caught his breath. 'Alright, I was tired of those horrid shoes, so I threw them up the roof, Peter retrieved them for me, I gave him a kiss in gratitude, I was a damsel in distress, alright?! That is all!' 

'Sorry Lokes, don't believe you,' Tony said, keeping his eyes on his apprentice, 'Peter, what happened on the roof?' 

'Well, uhm... It was really warm and uhm, I mean,' Peter started, trying to pick his words more carefully this time. ‘So, Ned found out that Loki was Meya, Meya was Loki, I mean, and we explained the whole situation, which was awkward, but I think he understands now,’ Peter said, uttering a sigh as he looked to the trickster in relief, having found a way to save the both of them from the reactions of the others. 

‘Still not buying it,’ Tony said relentlessly.  

‘WHAT?!’ Peter cried in desperation. ‘What do you want to hear?!’ 

'How about the truth, son?' Steve said, looking at the two.  

'Well, the truth was just given to you, now, if you will excuse us!' Loki said, highly irritated. He grabbed the teen by his wrist, wishing to pull him out of the room, but most of all, out of this conversation. 

‘No, no, you’re not leaving this room until I’m satisfied,’ Tony said sternly, stopping the god in his tread.  

'Oh, I will make sure to leave you satisfied,' the raven snarled, grinding his teeth. 

'Sorry, Lokes, I'm not into you like that, now sit!' Tony commanded. 

‘No, the Captain will do just fine for you I noticed,’ Loki said with a smirk, ignoring the last command entirely.  

Tony rolled his eyes and looked at Steve. ‘Do you have any idea what he is talking about?’ But Steve was merely staring ahead with a face as red as a tomato.  

'I do not seem to understand,' Thor said a little confused, replaying the conversation in his head.  

‘Yeah, never mind,' Steve shook his head a little, 'Loki, we were talking about you and Peter now, not me and Tony, I mean, there's nothing to talk about and... Could you please just tell us what happened?’  

‘You do surprise me, Anthony,' Loki said, ignoring the captain, 'I thought you had a “thing for brunettes?” Or is Steven merely a way to get to the Winter Soldier?’ He smirked as he saw a twitch in the playboy’s face.  

‘Oh please, Lokes, this diversion is pathetic,' Tony said with a highly annoyed expression, 'It's so obvious, even Starlord could see right through it.’ 

‘What?’ Starlord’s cracked voice sounded from across the room, for he was still lying on the dining table. ‘I heard my name. I swear I didn’t steal those batteries, I swear.’  

'Nothing, Quill, just shut up and go to sleep!' Tony half-growled as he was close to being amazed that the Starlord was able to increase his headache with just the inter-galactical hung-over sound of his voice. 

‘Copy that,’ Quill answered with a smirk before his head hit the table too hard as he lay back down. ‘Damn! Why is this damn table so f...’  

‘Hey, do you mind?!’ Steve shouted, nervous enough as he was. 

'You stay here, brother,' Thor warned the raven as Loki was trying to use the distraction that goes by the name of Quill to escape this dreadful conversation. 

At this, Loki sighed deeply, turning around and staring at the three "grown-ups". 'Nothing. Happened,' he spelled out, a bright red colouring his cheeks as his stomach suddenly growled loudly. 

‘Nothing, huh? Is that why you’re so eager to get away?’ Tony smirked. 

‘I am warning you, Anthony, if you wish to imply something, please do so out loud, because I am in no mood to guess them!’ 

‘Okay,’ Tony started, suddenly more patient, ‘So you two kissed?’ 

‘Yes,’ the trickster murmured, a little taken aback by the sudden directness of his host. 

‘And what happened on the roof, exactly?’ Tony continued, now trying his best to remain calm. 

‘As Peter has already told you, we kissed, Edward found out Meya is... was me, and we talked, that is all.' 

'Not asking you, Lokes,' Tony said and he looked at the young adult at the trickster’s side. 'Peter?' 

Peter had been nervously fiddling with the edge of his T-shirt and suddenly looked up at his mentor. 

As Loki saw the teen struggle, he sighed and took a step forward. 'Alright, I yield,' he said out loud, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. 'I headed for the roof to get some much-needed fresh air, Peter came after me, we, we talked and I kissed him and I suggested...' 

'You suggested, what?' Steve asked, squinting his eyes a little. 

'I suggested we should put the "talisman" the wizard gave us to use,' Loki said without a sense of shame, speaking more clearly this time, looking the Captain straight in his blue eyes. 

'You wanted what?!' Tony nearly screamed, the air of indifference hanging around the trickster only adding to his anger. 

‘Have you lost your mind, brother?!’ Thor shouted. 

'Thor, Tony, calm down,' Steve said as even he was noticing the overexaggerated anger in the voices of the playboy and the god of thunder. He then turned to the god of lies again. ‘Why would you suggest that, Loki?’ 

The trickster looked into the pleading eyes of the Captain and then into the angry gazes of the other two Avengers, the latter causing him to smirk and state; ‘It was an experiment. I do not often take the shape of a young woman.’  

The god then looked at Tony with a confident smirk, ‘Also, I believe that even though Peter was a little hesitant, he would eventually not have minded the, what was it again?’ he said as he then turned to his brother, ‘The touch of an Asgardian beauty?’ he quoted with a sly grin. 

As the two men now raised their voices against the trickster, who would merely take the verbal hits with an unmovable smirk, the voices faded to the background as Peter stared at the god with wide eyes. So, this was the notorious Liesmith? A side of the raven which Peter had not yet seen before. There he stood, "bending the truth" and, as expected of the god of lies, everyone in the room believed him. The teen couldn't blame them. Loki stood tall and with a straight face, his voice strong and determent as if he could not care less about their reactions, though he was careful to avoid Peter’s eyes. The space surrounding the raven filled with his iconic apathetical air as he tilted his head just slightly backwards in arrogance to look down on the others. Peter would believe the god's lies, if it wasn't for the fact that he himself was part of the truth. 

‘Lokes, that’s not true!’ Peter interrupted, shattering the air with his comment in an attempt to save his friend from an audience that seemed on the brink of killing him.  

‘So you forced yourself on Peter to use him for your little sexual _experiment_?!’ Tony shouted at the Liesmith as he took a defending stance in front of Peter, seeming incredibly sober all of a sudden. ‘What the hell were you thinking?!’ 

‘What was _I_ thinking?’ Loki asked calmly though he could feel his blood boiling. ‘It was _your_ friend Strange that came up with this brilliant idea, Stark. Why not blame him? Or should we blame _you_ for asking me to go on a date with your kid in the first place?’ 

‘Okay, Loki, whatever happened, you are responsible for your own actions. That counts for everyone,' Steve finally remarked as he stood up, having been silent while the others were shouting. 'There’s no need to blame each other.’ 

'You have a point there, Captain,’ Loki replied, casting a glance at his brother in hope of a little support, but none was granted to him. As Loki looked back at Steve, a malicious smirk was written across his face. ‘Well then, give me your righteous example by showing me how you take responsibility for your own actions. I would like to know what happened here last night, Captain, amongst you “responsible” adults...’  

‘That is none of your damn business!’ Tony shouted as he took a step forward, baring his gritted teeth in anger.  

'So your party is none of my concern, yet Peter and I have to state whatever it is that happened between us during that tedious prom?!' Loki shouted back, his hands clenching into fists as his Seiðr slowly became visible without the trickster’s control. 

As Tony saw this, he quickly raised one hand to cover Peter, his other to summon his iconic red and golden Iron gauntlet. ‘You better calm down, or I'll blast your-!’   

‘STOP IT!’ Peter shouted, punching the raised hands of the opponents towards the ground as he himself stood between them, unmoveable like a rock. 

‘Finally, Peter, just tell us what happened,’ Tony sighed in relief, glad to listen to someone who made more sense to him on this horrible morning. 

‘Uh, w-well...’ Peter started, noticing all his courage failing him immediately. His voice was trembling as he spoke, flashes of the previous night shooting through his head and before his eyes, which were tearing up slowly. ‘I... I don’t know...’  

‘Come on, Peter,’ Tony tried as he calmed down a little, though he still wasn’t planning on taking off his gauntlet just yet. An instant feeling of guild hit him as he saw Peter's eyes glisten. ‘You don't have to be afraid,' he continued, 'You can tell us what happened and then we can...’  

‘I DON’T KNOW, MR. STARK!' Peter suddenly burst out, his body shaking violently as it became one big pile of nerves. 'I, I have no words for it! No, we didn’t need that, that thing Mister Strange gave us, if that makes you feel any better and Loki did _not_ force himself on me! It is very confusing to state that I have probably had the best night of my life with the girl of my dreams and that he is standing here right next to me, while you were all ready to blast each other to bits! And all these questions and this entire interrogation... I don’t know what to say, Mr. Stark, I’m lost for words. I, I just don’t know what else I can say...’  

After this, Peter bit his lip to keep himself from shouting out anything else until he had regained his temper fully. ‘Can I leave now, Mr. Stark?’ he eventually asked as the room had fallen completely silent. 

Tony nodded, taken aback by the flow of information that was slowly sinking in.  

‘Mr. Rogers? Mr. Odinson?’ Peter said, straightening his backbone as the two men nodded quietly. ‘Then I will go to my room.’ 

He felt all the eyes in the room following his every movement up the stairs, but he kept walking, careful not to run to his room too fast or slam the door too hard. 

Loki stood quietly for a second as his Seiðr started to calm somewhat, only now noticing how it had been blazing about him, after which he left the kitchen without a word. 

'Brother, I do not deem it wise to-' Thor began, but he stopped his sentence as Loki merely raised a hand while he walked away, not even turning around to face his fellow-Asgardian.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for this chapter!
> 
> What are your thoughts? Was it anything like you had expected? Did you enjoy reading it?  
> Please let us know in the comments below!
> 
> P.S. Not to worry! there's no light without darkness, there's no fluff and happy feels without some, well, tension/sad feels. All will be well in the next chapter, so stick around!


	3. To Be Honest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone and welcome back!
> 
> As I have mentioned before, there is no fluff without tension! SO! Since we've got the tension part covered, I say it's time for something, well, let's just call it "lighter" for now. 
> 
> Let's see how this turns out,
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Loki sat in his room, trying to focus on a book he had already read at least three times. He couldn't remember the last time it took him this much effort to keep himself focussed on the text. The sentences slowly started to lose form, becoming mere lose words, which, eventually, became nothing but black ink scrabbles soaked into ancient pages. 

'Come on, focus...' he murmured to himself, nervously fiddling with a pen and occasionally chewing on the back of it. He let out a deep sigh as he noticed his mind was far from tranquil. ‘Why is it so hard to concentrate, really?’ he asked himself in a sarcastic voice, knowing the answer to that question all too well. As he realized that he would not be able to read another syllable before he had spoken to the teen, he shut the book and stood up from his bed. 

Although it was the exact same hall as always, although nothing had changed since the last time he had walked these same steps, Loki felt like he had to walk miles to finally reach the teen's door. He took a deep breath and carefully knocked on the door. 

'Peter...?' 

'What?' was the only muffled sound he heard in reply. 

'I just...' Loki started, finding his hands softly trembling. 'About earlier, I... might I... Perhaps we should talk about it? I mean, I do not have to, not necessarily, but perhaps it is better for us, you and I, mostly you, I suppose, I mean, to talk about this...’ 

As he heard no response, he took a deep breath. 

‘Peter, please allow me to restate that sentence, I... I really need to talk with you.’ 

‘... The door’s open.’ 

As Loki softly opened the door, he stared at the state of the teen’s room in a strange mixture of awe and shock. It had been messy before, but it had been a teenage, I’m-too-busy-to-clean kind of mess. Now it looked like a true battlefield, the floor littered with books, electronic equipment, clothing and other belongings, as if a polite but disturbed hurricane had raged through the room, leaving everything intact but out of place. Everything except Peter’s phone, that is, which had obviously been thrown against the wall and now lay broken on the floor. In the middle of this landscape, one item stood untouched among the ruins of the room. It was the prom photo Loki had given the young man when they were in the car. The god noticed how it stood proudly on a nightstand against a small lamp, carefully left in place while the whole room seemed to have moved. This reality hit him even harder when he noticed that there were no other photos to be seen, just as he and Peter were the only two present now. Loki softly closed the door behind him and walked in, careful not to step on any of the items scattered on the floor. He picked up a few of Peter’s books, neatly stacking them on his desk before turning to the teen who lay on his bed like a ragdoll, his head buried in his pillow. 

'… Well,' Loki started, letting his hand rest on the books. 'As I said, I would like to speak with you,' he continued, his voice shaking a little with nerves. He patiently waited for a response but got none. 

'May I sit here?' he asked, pointing at the end of Peter's bed, even though he knew the teen could not see it. Taking Peter's shrugging for an answer, he carefully sat down. 

'So... are you doing well?' he decided to ask, although he found it a stupid question to begin with. The teen had just shouted at his two tutors, quite drastically re-organised his room, and was now motionlessly lying on top of his bed in complete silence; of course he was not “doing well”. 

'Weeeeell,' Peter eventually replied after letting out a very deep sigh, 'It's just a lot to take in. It, it will take time to process, I guess... This was not really how I imagined this day would start.' Peter finally turned around and looked at the trickster. 'How uhm, how are you holding up?’ 

'Oh, I am fine, really,' Loki said. 

'I thought you were good at lying,' Peter said as he crossed his arms and looked at the god. 

'I am fine, really,' Loki stated calmly, as if nothing had happened. 

'Really?' was the only thing Peter asked in return, raising a brow in disbelief. 

'Really,' Loki replied, staring straight into the teen's eyes without blinking. 

Peter let out a sigh, ‘Lokes, can I tell you something?’ he asked as he came a little closer as if telling his friend a secret. 

‘By all means, Peter.’ 

‘I don’t like it when you lie.’ 

At this, the god looked up in surprise. ‘I, I beg your pardon?' he managed to reply, 'I am the god of lies, you are aware of that, are you not?’ 

‘Well, yeah, but I don’t like it. You just lied straight to my face like it was nothing, like it's just as normal as... I don’t know, breathing? It makes me question if you're ever being honest about anything, ever, at all. I don’t want to do that.’ 

‘Peter, I have been like, well, like this ever since I was young,' the god stated, a little confused for this was the first time someone openly pointed out his disapproval about his lies. 'I believe it to be in my nature...' 

‘Maybe you could just... I don’t know, stop lying altogether, you know? You could just try it.’ 

‘Are you truly asking me to never tell a lie again?' Loki asked in astonishment, 'And be truthful all the time like you just there? Yes, that went well.’ 

‘If we just told them the truth right away they would be mad, sure, but not as mad as they are now, Lokes. Don't you see that?’ 

‘I like to avoid such conflicts, Peter, and sometimes lying is the best way to do so. It almost got us out of that situation just there if you would have just let me lie.’ 

‘But I won’t let you, because I don’t like it when you lie to me or to our friends or to anyone really, so, can you just try to not do that?’ Peter asked, staring in the bright green of the trickster's eyes in determination. 

‘You are really asking me to give up lying altogether?’ Loki asked a little worriedly, a soft shudder running down his spine as if someone just asked him to deny a part of his nature. 

‘Well, you could make up little excuses now and then,' Peter said as he thought this through, but he then quickly shook his head, 'No, no, that’s just as bad, never mind. Yes, I would like you to give it up altogether.’ 

'Hm,' was Loki's only response to that, staring in the distance as if he was rethinking every lie he has ever told in his life. 

‘Is that a “yes”?’ Peter asked hopefully. 

The raven's eyes darted from the wall to Peter and back to the wall again, a hint of nervousness shining through. 'Fine, I will try,' he sighed, wondering if and how long he would be able to keep up this ridiculous promise. 

'Okay,' Peter said, nodding in agreement. 'So, I'll ask again, how are you holding up?' 

Searching for words to best describe his feelings, the trickster looked around the room. 'To be honest, Peter,' he started, swallowing nervously as his fingers twitched a little, 'I am confused, hungry, tired, stressed, nervous and a little shaky, but besides all of that, I feel just,' Loki stopped for a second, searching for the right word, 'peachy.’ 

At this Peter laughed. 'Peachy, huh?' He sat up straight, placing himself next to the god. 'You really have a way with words, don’t you?' he chuckled. 

'So people say,' Loki replied with a smile, staring ahead. ‘But one can never tell whether they mean it. For all we know, they might be lying.’ 

'Pff, like you don’t know. You used to be a master of lies, though you are retired now, aren’t you?' he said with a smirk. 

Loki laughed and shook his head. ‘You are being a real pain in my royal Asgardian behind, Man of Spiders.’ 

‘Oh well,’ Peter shrugged. ‘You know, some people say I’m funny? I hardly ever am on purpose though,’ he said in an attempt to break the trickster’s concentration. 

‘Yes, well, people seem to say a lot about us,’ Loki replied as he looked at the boy with a gentle smile. 

'True...' Peter nodded, not really knowing what to say next. ‘Lokes… about just now… were you really planning on attacking Tony?’ 

‘What do you mean by that?’ Loki asked as he frowned, ‘Might I kindly remind you that it was Anthony who started by pointing his gauntlet at me?’ 

‘Well, he did point his gauntlet at you, but he didn’t start, not really. Your powers, uhm, Seiðr? It really showed back there, quite violently…’ 

‘… So it did…’ Loki said as he stared at the ground in embarrassment. ‘Peter, one thing you must know about Seiðr is that it is very hard to master, but even more so to control. I find myself having a difficult time keeping it under control when I become emotional… unbalanced.’ Loki mumbled a little, ‘I first noticed so the day I heard my mother had come to pass. I had trashed my cell without as much as lifting a finger. I was just so…!’ he said in frustration and hurt, he then looked at Peter after which his eyes quickly turned towards the floor again and he forced himself to calm down. ‘My apologies, I should not ramble like this.’ He took a deep breath and looked at Peter again, ‘Please understand that it was not my intention to harm Anthony in any way, not seriously at least.’ 

‘It’s okay, Lokes, I get it.’ Peter smiled a little and he let out a sigh as the two now sat next to each other. 'So, what are we going to do about this?' 

'About what?' 

'Well, this, uhm, situation? Between us, I mean, if there is an "us"... Well, you know, the whole prom thing and... and all.' 

‘Should we refer to... what we had, with what you Midgardians call a “fling”? Is that what this is?’ 

'A fl-?' Peter wanted to repeat, but a nervous laughter broke his sentence. 'Yeah, I guess that's the correct way to describe it.' 

'Peter,' Loki finally said, a more serious tone ringing his voice, 'About Meya,' he now looked the teen straight in the eye. 'I did mean what I said to your friend, about this being a one-time thing. I do not believe it to be wise to ever repeat such... situations, would you not agree?' 

‘I don’t think we were very “wise” to begin with,’ Peter chuckled, ‘I mean, I wasn’t really thinking things through at the time.’ 

‘I have been overthinking a lot during prom,’ Loki chuckled, ‘But in the end, no, I agree, thinking things through did not seem to be my priority.’ 

'Well, that's just what prom does, I guess,' Peter said in a cheerful way, hoping to finally break the awkwardness between the two. 

‘Yes, well, let us hope that we do not have to go through such a thing ever again.’ 

Peter looked up at the trickster with wide questioning eyes, ‘You didn’t hear about the other prom?’ 

‘The other...’ Loki started in shock, but a grin spread over his face as he saw Peter trying to hide his smirk. ‘You joker,’ he said as he acted a sneak attack on the teen, pushing Peter into a pile of pillows. 'Honestly, do not ever dare to trick me again or I might lose my title,' he smiled while holding Peter down by his wrists, careful to look the teen in the eye with some Asgardian flair. 'Understood?' 

‘Quite, sir,’ Peter said with a chuckle. 

‘Alright then.’ 

‘Lokes?’ 

‘Yes?’ 

‘You can let go now,’ Peter chuckled, a questioning gaze in his eyes nonetheless. 

‘Right,’ Loki said as if suddenly woken from some reverie and he let the boy go. ‘Anyway,’ the trickster continued casually, ‘What are your plans for today?’ 

‘I’m meeting up with Ned in the park. We'll probably go to his place and, I don’t know, hang out, we’ll see. We haven’t got any real plans yet.’ 

'Ah, yes, your very best friend,' Loki smiled. 'Honestly, we should show him our gratitude, I mean, if it were not for him we might have...' Loki's cheeks then turned a slight shade of red, 'Well, you know...' but the trickster's cheeks then reddened even further as a loud growl of his stomach was clearly heard through the room. He turned his eyes to the floor, 'My apologies, it seems like skipping dinner and breakfast might have finally caught up with me.' 

‘Breakfast sounds great, yeah, I could use some as well,’ Peter said as he laid a hand on his own stomach. ‘Maybe we should have went for some shawarma yesterday after all.’ 

‘Shawar... Peter, remind me that you have to tell me what happened last night. I, I might have lost some parts of it.’ 

‘Sure thing,’ Peter said with a smile. ‘Oh! Before I forget, I have to ask you something really important!’ 

‘And that would be...?' Loki asked in suspicion. 

Peter chuckled and looked the trickster in the eyes. ‘You still got the moves like Jagger?’ 

‘Oh, good Norns, I hoped that was just a very bad dream,’ Loki laughed as he covered his laughing face in his hands. ‘New plan, you tell me everything that happened last night after, no, during breakfast, if there is no one listening, of course.’ 

‘Sure thing, Lokes,' Peter laughed as he jumped off his bed. 'Let’s go.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for another chapter.
> 
> Next one will be up in 4 days.
> 
> Please let us know what you think in the comments below!


	4. A matter of family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone and welcome back again for a brand new chapter!
> 
> Just a little heads up! This chapter will contain Tony rambling a little about his tools... We did our very best to make Tony sound as Tony-ish and smart as possible but in all honesty, we had not idea on what kind of tools our dearest playboy uses soooo.... Please bare with it XD
> 
> Anyway, hope you will enjoy!

‘Maybe our concern and worry got the better of us...’ Thor said after letting out a sigh, his eyes guiltily looking up the stairs where the interrogated had vanished to. ‘I am certain my brother and Peter will come to understand all was in good intention, if they will hear our apologies.’ 

‘Yeah, we really should apologize to them…’ Steve agreed, rubbing the back of his head with one hand, his feet dangling slightly as he sat on the kitchen table. 

‘Well, things wouldn’t have gotten out of hand like this if they just told the truth from the begi-’ but Tony stopped mid-sentence as he saw Steve’s eyes staring at him. Eventually, he nodded, ‘Okay, you’re right, maybe I let myself go, a little…’ 

‘A little?’ Steve repeated with a smirk that required further explanation. 

‘Fine, a lot,’ Tony admitted, ‘I was just concerned, that’s all... And this awful headache is just not helping, at all.’ 

'Well, you did drink quite a lot, so no wonder,' Steve chuckled, looking at the mess that normally represented his stylish friend. 

‘Shut up, Rogers.’ 

Steve looked at his friend in surprise, but could not help but laugh. 'You'll survive Tony, don't worry. You're a big boy,' Steve smiled, watching as Tony adjusted his sunglasses a little. 

‘Are you sure, nurse? I think, it might be really bad,’ Tony chuckled, trying to put on a worried face. 

'Nurse?' Thor asked, interrupting their little conversation. 'Like a Midgardian Healer? I did not know you had medical training, Captain.’ 

'No, Thor, I...' 

'Yes, Steve's an excellent nurse, you know, bringing soup when you're struck down by a cold, maybe even BRING AN ASPERIN when one is suffering from a pounding headache,' Tony smirked, placing the back of his hand against his forehead in a dramatic pose. 

Steve laughed at the theatrical display and turned his attention back to the god. ‘Unfortunately, I’m not, Thor, but I am telling you that if I were, I would take pride in knowing that I was able to save people by healing them rather than by hurting others.’ 

'Nurse Rogers?' Tony let out in a whiny voice, unable to hide his smile. 

'Thought I would not mind letting some people suffer just a little longer,' Steve smirked, shaking his head a little. 'That is not the Stark mentality, Tony, get off that sofa and get yourself an aspirin if you need it so bad. There's nothing wrong with your legs.’ 

‘Okay, I did not want to bring this up, but my knees hurt, now and then,’ Tony started with a chuckle but his expression suddenly became worried as he stared past Steve and Thor. 

'Serious? Who's the old guy now, huh?' Steve sniggered, but his laugh died as soon as he saw the expression on his friend's face. Both the Captain and Thor turned around and saw the cause of Tony’s worried expression. 

‘Hey guys,’ Bucky said with a faint chuckle, hardly looking at the people in front of him. His dark brown hair was messy, his eyes circled in black, but the most noticeable and painful of all was his mechanical arm, which dangled loosely from his shoulder, twitching at random. 

‘Buck? What hap-’ Steve wanted to ask worriedly, but his friend interrupted him. 

‘Don’t ask, I can’t remember,’ Bucky stated as he looked at his arm with a scoffing chuckle, ‘I sure would like to know though.’ 

‘...Well, at least you won’t be needing your eye-liner today,’ Tony remarked with a grin, earning him a deadly glare from both soldiers. 

‘Tony, you think you could fix that?’ Steve asked, pointing at Bucky’s robotic arm. 

‘Of course I can,’ Tony replied, planning to leave it at that, but as the three men were now staring at him, he rolled his eyes, ‘Fine, I’ll take a look at it.’ He walked over to Bucky, taking a closer look at the metallic arm, only now noticing all the scars on the man’s shoulder. ‘Can you still move it?’ 

‘I guess,’ Bucky said and he tried to move his arm, sparks nearly blinding him as they flew into his face. 

‘Okay, yeah, that’s damaged pretty bad,’ Tony said as he took a step back. ‘Come sit on the table, I’ll fix it before you and your Fourth of July arm set my kitchen on fire.’ 

‘Tempting,’ Bucky smirked. 

‘I know, just resist that temptation for now, okay?’ Tony said with a smirk. ‘Now, let’s see.’ 

'Want me to get some of your tools, Tony?' Steve asked in an attempt to be of use. 

'Uh, yeah, looks like I will be needing a slot drive, and Pozidriv bit, of course... Seriously, who created this thing? Okay, I will need my welding machine and,' Tony mumbled, his eyes locked on his new project, which sparked at his hands again. He yelped, after which he looked at Bucky, ’I hope that was the last time you planned on moving?’ 

‘I didn’t...’ 

‘Steve, can you just fetch me my tools?’ Tony continued. ‘Oh, and bring reinforced iron scissors as well, I’m not sure whether I’ll need them, but you know, just in case.’ 

'You're gonna use a what now?' Bucky asked, a little worried. 

‘Relax, soldier, I’m planning on working on your mechanical arm. I’m that kind of doctor.’ 

As Steve was still standing in the same place, looking around in a haze of slight panic, Tony sighed and looked at his friend. ‘Nurse, did you understand anything of what I just said?’ 

‘Not all of it, unfortunately...’ Steve admitted, his cheeks coloring slightly. 

‘Don’t worry, Cap,’ Tony smiled reassuringly, ‘I’ll make sure Friday will guide you to the right ones.’

Guided by the artificial intelligence, Steve made his way through Tony’s workplace. After about half an hour he finally returned, carrying way more than Tony had asked for. The four men then all looked up as they heard two pair of feet walking their way down the stairs.

‘Maybe it was not such a good idea after all to ask you about all that has happened last night,’ Loki chuckled as he and Peter walked down the stairs. 

‘Ignorance is bliss, isn’t that what they say?’ Peter said with a sassy smirk, gaining a nudge in his side which nearly made him shriek, but he controlled himself and merely smiled. He then noticed the others in the kitchen, and his attention was immediately taken up by Tony’s project. ‘Wow, Mr. Barnes, what happened to your arm?!’ 

'This reminds me of a movie we watched a short while ago,' Loki said as he leaned forward a little and observed the vibranium arm with care, 'What was it again?' he asked, looking at Steve. 

'Uh, yeah, wasn't it something called Terminator?' Steve tried, looking at Tony to verify his guess, but his friend did not notice this at all. 

'Yes, indeed, though something is missing... Oh, I know,' Loki smirked, swiftly grabbing Tony's sunglasses and placing them on Bucky. 'There, much better.' 

‘Hey!’ Tony grumpily said. 

‘They’ll be back,’ Loki said with a grin, looking at Bucky whether he would laugh, but the Winter Soldier was staring moodily at him through the sunglasses. 

'Trickster, just a heads up: when Stark's done with my arm, I'm gonna test it on you,' Bucky warned him with a smirk. 

'But really, Mister Barnes,' Peter quickly intervened, 'What happened?' 

‘I am fine, kid,’ Bucky reassured with as much of a smile as he could conjure. 

'But who did this?’ Peter asked, still a little worried as he took a closer look. 

Bucky opened his mouth, feeling the desire to tell the teen to mind his own business, but a short and sharp pain ran through his shoulder. He glared at Tony, who was fiddling with the tech and gave him a sharp look. 

‘Oops,’ was all Tony said, his eyes telling Bucky to play nicely. 

‘I could help too, Tony, if you would like,’ Peter said in enthusiasm, searching for the right equipment, 'Uhm, where are your tools? Should I go get them?' 

‘Ask nurse Rogers, he put them somewhere,’ Tony chuckled, noticing the Captain’s suppressed smile as he said the words. 

'Nurse?' Peter asked surprised and he looked at Steve, 'I did not know you were a nurse, that's so cool!' 

‘Long story, the tools are over there, next to the sink,’ Steve said with a smile, hearing his fellow soldier chuckle from the table. 

'Nurse Steven Grant Rogers,' Bucky smiled, looking at his slightly embarrassed friend, his smile only broadening as he imagined the blonde with the iconic white cap in his hair, decorated with a red cross. 

'Okay, let's see,' Peter said, glancing at the tools, 'Steve, why is there a...' 

'Just, just grab whatever you need, Peter, I have no idea what all of that is, I just hope it will come in useful,' Steve replied, still smiling, though his smile was a little more defeated now. 

'Yeah, no, sure, these will all come in useful, I'm sure,' Peter reassured him. 'Here, Tony! You need this, right?’ 

‘I do, but why don’t you handle that part, Pete? You’re good with tech, right?’ 

‘Really?! Okay!’ Peter said with a bright smile as he started to work on the metal arm. 

Bucky threw Tony a questioning glance in which a hint of panic became visible, but Tony smiled and nodded reassuringly. 

'… Peter,' Steve eventually said, almost breaking the teen's concentration, 'About this morning's conversation...’ 

‘What about it?’ Peter asked absentmindedly, his face hovering over the metal project as he tried to get two miniature wires to connect to each other. 

'We just wanted to tell you,' Steve said, starting out hesitantly, but straightening his posture as he continued, 'We are sorry, that we basically forced you to talk. It wasn’t right.' 

'We were just worried kid, that's all,' Tony added as he lowered his tool and looked at the concentrated teen at his side. 

‘Hey, it’s what parents do, right?’ Peter said cheerily while continuing to work on the project, but he froze as he realized what he just said. ‘I mean guardians! Mentors! Uh, friends who look after you, you know, that kind of stuff...’ 

Tony and Steve stared at Peter for a moment and laughed, partly out of awkwardness, partly to show their good will, and perhaps also because the comment meant something more to them, something they could not name just yet. 

‘So, friend,’ Steve said with a smile after a while, ‘We’re good?’ 

'We’re good,’ Peter said with a bright smile. 

‘And Loki,’ Tony started, forcing himself to say it, ‘We’re sorry, we weren’t very nice to you either.’ 

'I will accept your apologies after you kneel down and beg for forgiveness,’ Loki said, acting like he didn't care for the conversation at all as he took a large bite out of an apple. 'All three of you,' he added, looking at Steve and his brother. 

‘Well, I’m sorry,’ Tony said as he stood up and faced the trickster, ‘But this is all the apology you’re gonna get.’ 

'How disappointing,' the raven responded, though he was unable to hide his genuine smile any longer. ‘But I am prepared, good-hearted as I am, to forgive you all.’ 

'So, all's in the past now?' Tony said after shaking his head with a smile, eager to get back to his project. 

'Yes, you may find comfort in the fact that this generous god has forgiven you,' Loki smiled. 

‘Thanks,’ Tony said with a smirk as he turned back to his project. ‘I’m moved by your modesty and your willingness to forgive us humble human beings. Really touched my heart there, Lokes.’ 

The attention of the four men was then brought back to the soldier on the table who let out a loud hiss in pain. 

'Oh my God! I'm so sorry Mister Barnes!' Peter hastily apologized as he immediately dropped his tools. 'Are you alright?!' 

'I'm fine! Just undo whatever you just did!' Bucky said, grinding his teeth as the pain caused convulsions in his metal arm and the attached shoulder. 

'Uhm, yeah, of course!' the teen replied, but his sudden insecurity got the best of him. 'Tony, please help!' he squeaked, blinded by his panic. 

‘Okay, move aside, Pete,’ Tony said reassuringly as he watched the heavily shaking arm. ‘Alright, I see what is going on,’ he mumbled in concentration as he pulled a wire out of its socket and slightly adjusted a little screw. ‘There. You can continue, Pete.’ 

'Thanks Tony...' Peter said and he picked up his tools. ‘But, maybe I shouldn’t...’ he added as he watched the Winter Soldier catching his breath. 

‘Nonsense. It went well so far, right?' Tony said as he patted the teen's back with a kind smile. 'Nothing that can’t be fixed, Pete. We're not going to let one little set-back get the better of us now, are we?’ 

'I guess so,' Peter said and he looked at the soldier on the table, who kept his eyes on the ceiling, '… Do you still want me to continue, Mister Barnes?' 

'Of course I do,' Bucky replied as he relaxed a little, trying his best to give the teen a little reassurance. ‘Just don’t do that specific thing again, alright?’ 

‘Roger that, Mr. Barnes,’ Peter said with a smile as he started to work on the arm again, a little more hesitant at first, but finding his flow soon enough. 

‘Oh, your glasses, Stark,’ Bucky said as he handed the metal doctor his glasses back. 

‘Thanks, Barnes.’ 

In the meantime, Thor and Loki stood next to each other, about five feet of space separating them. They stared at the four men in front of them. The Captain was looking at Bucky with a warm and caring smile, Bucky merely smiling back, and although he did not say anything, his face clearly showed his gratitude. Then there were Peter and Tony, working together on the man’s arm, consulting together on how to fix the broken parts, though Peter was mostly following Tony’s instructions, listening carefully and learning all he could. 

‘Brother,’ Thor began, breaking the silence between them, ‘I believe an apology is in order.’ 

‘You seriously want me to apologize to you?’ Loki asked in disbelief, squinting his eyes a little. 

‘No, no, not at all,’ Thor quickly corrected himself, only now looking at the raven, ‘It is I who should make an apology to you, so…’ 

‘It is quite alright, Thor,’ Loki then said, ‘I am certain that you humiliated me, sided with your Midgardian friends and invaded my privacy with all good intentions, like you always do,’ Loki replied coldly, his eyes staring forward. 

‘So... All is well between us?’ Thor ventured to ask. 

‘It is,’ Loki answered with a slight smile. 'Forgiven, but not forgotten,' he added, 'Though, if you were to kneel...' 

‘You are not seriously suggesting I...’ 

‘No,’ Loki answered, rolling his eyes with a sigh. ‘It was merely an amusing thought, nothing more.’ 

'Always glad to talk with you, brother,' Thor said happily, a wide grin on his face while patting the raven's back just a little too hard. 

‘Likewise,’ Loki uttered half-sarcastically after he had regained the breath his brother had so lovingly patted out of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for this chapter!
> 
> Hope you liked it, please let us know and leave a comment in the section below! See you awesome people in three days ;)


	5. New Alliances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone and welcome back to another chapter!
> 
> I don't really know what to say, except, of course, to thank you for your awesome comments!
> 
> Well, enjoy!

  


'Okay, hold still, almost done,' Tony mumbled as he pulled two lose wires from the metallic arm. 'See, if I take this... and then connect it with this right here...' he connected the two wires, resulting in a hard punch against his jaw from the vibranium arm, causing Tony to immediately fall backwards on the floor.  

'O my God! Tony, are you alright?!' Peter nearly shouted, immediately dropping his tools again.    

‘Yeah,’ Tony grumbled from the floor, ‘Please, don’t touch that wire. It’s the other one.’   

'I don't think I'm gonna touch anything anymore,' Peter said, raising his hands.   

‘Smart move, kid,’ Bucky said with a slight smile. 'You dead, Stark?'    

Tony chuckled as he got up. ‘You’d like that, wouldn’t you? But no, looks like I will have to disappoint several people in this room, because I’m alive and kicking, buddy.’  

‘I believe my friend did the kicking part, Mr. Stark,’ T’Challa said with a smile as he entered the room and helped Tony up before turning to Bucky. ‘Truly, Sergeant Barnes, I give you a new arm, it is made out of vibranium, and therefore indestructible, and yet you manage...’   

‘Your Highness,' Bucky responded and nodded, 'If I may defend myself, this was not my own doing.’   

‘Naturally,’ T’Challa said with a smile. ‘But have you captured the culprit who _is_ to blame, Mr. Barnes?’    

'Unfortunately, not, sir.'     

‘Look who’s got manners all of a sudden,' Tony laughed, climbing back on his chair.   

‘I just know whom to respect, Stark,’ Bucky answered his remark with a smirk. ‘You’re just not among them.’ 

'Watch it,' Tony warned him as he placed his attention back on the arm, 'Okay, so if that caused a reaction like that, then maybe...'  

'I would not do that if I were you,' TChalla said, watching Tony struggle with the Wakandan technology.   

‘Alright,’ Tony briefly stated, looking at the arm again, ‘Maybe if I do this...’   

‘No, I don’t think that would be wise,’ T’Challa advised, shaking his head.  

‘Care to give it a go, Your Highness?’ Tony said slightly irritated as he turned to T’Challa, ‘You seem to know much more about this stuff than me.’    

‘I would rather entrust Mr. Barnes and his arm to my sister’s skills, Mr. Stark. She knows the design and could fix this man’s arm in a matter of minutes.’   

'So... that would mean Bucket here has to go back with you to Wakanda?' Tony asked, careful not to let his smile shine through too much.   

'That would indeed mean, that, if Sergeant Barnes were to agree, he would go back to Wakanda with me.'   

'Okay,' Tony said, lowering his tools, 'I agree, it would be best if the princess takes a look at your arm, Bucket. Don't you agree Peter?'    

'I, uhm,' Peter stuttered, 'I thought you said we should not let one little set-back get the better of us?'    

At this, Bucky chuckled and he looked at Peter, 'Looks like this is too much for your tutor to handle, kid.' A more devious smirk then colored his face as he saw Tony's offended expression. ‘A wise man knows the limits of his powers. However, I bet His Highness wouldn't mind you coming along to Wakanda, you know, on an educational trip. How about that?’ His look then became a bit more surprised as he saw the trickster glare at him in the same level of annoyance as Tony did.

‘Really, Mr. Barnes?!’ Peter asked enthusiastically before he turned to T’Challa, ‘Your Highness, sir, would you be okay with that?’   

‘Of course, my young friend,’ T’Challa answered with a smile. 'The doors of Wakanda are open for everyone.'  

‘Awesome!’ Peter shouted, ‘Sorry, too loud, but that would be really cool. I’ve never travelled that far! I haven’t really travelled at all, actually...’  

'Did you not have plans with your friend, Peter?' the raven quickly asked, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. 'No offence,' he added, looking at T'Challa.  

‘What, with you?’ Tony asked in confusion.  

‘No, Anthony, not me, his high school friend,’ Loki responded as he rolled his eyes. ‘Nedward, I believe was his name.'  

‘Oh, Ned,’ Tony said with a nod.  

‘You have met him?’ Loki asked surprised.  

‘Yeah, Peter gave him my personal phone number...’ Tony explained as he cast a quick look at Peter. ‘He keeps calling me to point out emergencies in the city. Yesterday it was... What was it? A cat in a tree?’  

'So, you are not coming along then?' T'Challa asked Peter, having no idea nor interest in the little back and forth between the trickster and the playboy.  

'Well, I could always reschedule! I'm sure Ned wouldn't mind!'  

‘I’m sure your friend will understand if you tell him that the king of Wakanda, who also happens to be The Black Panther, invited you to come over to his homeland,’ Bucky said with a smirk as he watched Peter’s eyes grow big.  

‘Oh he’s gonna flip! “I’m invited for a little holiday in Wakanda, Ned” “By whom?!” “Oh, just king Black Panther!”' Peter imagined the conversation out loud. 'Okay, I’ll call him right away! Just, don’t leave without me!’   

‘Aren’t you happy for the kid, Stark?’ Bucky asked as he saw the playboy moping a bit. ‘I’m sure Shuri could teach him a thing or two about Wakandan technology. Who knows, maybe he’ll even become better than you. Even though that wouldn’t take that much.’   

At this, Loki couldn't help but chuckle and, in his laughter, high-fived the soldier to everyone's surprise.  

'What?' the raven asked as he saw everyone staring at him, 'He made me laugh.'  

Tony looked from the trickster to the Winter Soldier as they smirked at one another and then awaited his response. ‘Okay, am I the only one who is slightly worried about this new alliance? Anyone?’  

‘Just you, Stark, I think you’re getting a little paranoid,’ Bucky said with a smirk, ‘Maybe you’re the one who needs a vacation. Don’t worry, we’ve got things covered here,’ he added while leaning a little closer to his fellow soldier. ‘Ain’t that right, Steve?’  

‘Uh, sure, we’ll be fine, I guess,’ Steve nodded with a smile, though he wasn't really following the conversation anymore.  

Tony's only response was a nasty glare, followed by a poke in the soldier’s shoulder with a screwdriver at which the man flinched. 'Oops. You know, Bucky, you look a bit tense, maybe you should chill out a little. Oh, I believe we still got a freezer in the basement somewhere.'   

‘You both are acting like children,’ T’Challa said with a disapproving look at both parties. ‘I would think the guardians of this world to be more responsible.’  

‘Yeah, that’s why you need the guardians of the _galaxy_ to help them out,’ Quill said with a confident smirk as he rose from the table from which he had been eavesdropping and enjoying the entire conversation. ‘Ain’t that right?’  

'So it would seem,' Thor agreed, taking a stand next to the Quill, 'Earthlings do tend to seek puny fights all the time.'  

‘Oh, you two were just waiting for this, weren’t you?’ Tony said squinting his eyes, ‘You sneaky bastards.’ 

'Hey, wait, I'm an Earthling,' Quill reminded the pirate-angel.   

'Truly?' Thor asked in surprise.  

‘Yeah, I’m just an intergalactic one. I would say that I’m a “worldly” guy, but, hey, I’m out of this world, right! Put ‘em there!’ he said with a smirk as he held his hand up for a high-five to Loki, who merely looked at him in surprise.  

‘There is no way I am slapping your hand for that remark, it was corny and quite stupid, to be honest,’ the trickster said, earning a chuckle from the Winter Soldier as Quill disappointingly lowered his arm.  

'Ah, what do you know,' Quill scoffed, smirking like he didn't care. ‘Hey, where’s my awesome squad anyway? Rocket! Are you still in bed, you lazy rodent?!’   

’Shut up, Quill,' Rocket grumbled, slowly shuffling into the kitchen, followed by Mantis, 'What’s all the fuss about anyway?' His eyes then widened as he looked at the soldier whose arm was still hanging a bit loose from his shoulder, '... oh...’  

‘Enjoying the view?’ Bucky asked him with a bitter smirk as a blurry memory started to form in his head.  

‘Uh, well, I’ve seen better views on an early morning like this, thank you,’ Rocket continued casually, although his slight panic was hard to miss.  

‘Rocket?’ Quill asked with a slightly annoyed smirk.  

‘Yes?’ Rocket responded while stealing glances at Bucky, whose menacing smile was widening over his face.   

'Is this your doing?'   

'Well, of course not,' Rocket stated calmly though adding a nervous smile as he saw the soldier standing up from the table, 'I mean, I would never damage my goods like that, you know that, right Quill? Mantis?'   

'I think he is lying,' Mantis stated in her honesty, looking at the nervous creature. ‘Although he speaks the truth when he states that he would not damage the goods on purpose. I think he is ashamed of having done this.’  

'Hey, trickster,' Bucky said, looking at Loki, 'Looks like I found a better target to punch once my arm's fixed.' The two smirked at each other, their devious grins so very similar it was as if they have been best friends for years.  

'Oh, no, you don't,' Tony interrupted, pulling the soldier back on the table, 'I'm not finished just yet.'  

'Yeah! Listen to the brunette, soldier boy!' Rocket shouted with a laugh, but as Tony cast him a deadly look, Rocket shut his mouth and smiled. ‘Our dear host, I mean, of course.’  

‘It sure is nice to get a little respect around here,’ Tony said with a smirk as he looked at Bucky briefly.  

‘Enjoy it, Stark, it’s all you’re gonna...’ Bucky started.  

‘Shut up,' Tony interrupted him, 'or I will implement a shocker in that arm of yours and I will be the one with the remote, pal.’  

'Believe me, you do not want to get electrified, it is most unpleasant,' Loki half-whispered as he sat down next to the soldier and crossed his arms. He looked at his older brother, thinking back to their adventures on Sakaar. ‘Take my word for it.’  

'In my defense, brother, you were planning on leaving me and escape through the Devil's Anus on your own!' Thor quickly spoke.  

'The what?' Peter asked looking back and forth between the two gods, 'What exactly happened to you guys on that planet?'  

'… I do not believe I want to hear the rest of this,' T'Challa sighed and he quickly turned his attention to the coffee machine. ‘It is too early for this, even for me.’  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for this chapter, thank you so much for spending your precious time on reading this, we really appreciate it!
> 
> Next one will be up in 3 days!


	6. Already sorry for party rocking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!
> 
> Sorry for being late! Promise it won't happen again :D 
> 
> Here's the new chapter! Hope you will enjoy!

 

‘Soooo... You were supposed to go to Wakanda, but you’re not going to Wakanda, did I get that right?’ Ned asked with a slightly confused air as the two sat down on a park bench, both of them a milkshake in hand.  

'Well,' Peter started, wondering how he could best explain what was going on without mentioning the Winter Soldier, or any of the others for that matter. 'Mister Stark, he uhm... he had this project which he at first thought he could not finish... but then he could... so I couldn't go,' he said incoherently, wondering if this explanation even made any sense.  

‘Right,’ Ned said as he took another sip from his milkshake. ‘So, what will you be doing this Summer, Pete?’   

‘Nah, I don’t know, a little lazing around, binge-watching some series, gaming, you know.’  

‘Dude, you’re living with the Avengers! How could you possibly have such an ordinary Summer?!’   

‘Yeah, but you know...’ but as Ned stared at him with a raised eyebrow, Peter repeated, ‘You know!’   

‘No, Pete,’ Ned said sternly, wrapping his arms over one another. ‘There is no way you’re gonna do that stuff all Summer while you could hang out with the Avengers. I’ll make sure of it if I have to.’   

'Sssssh! Ned, please, not so loud,' Peter said, quickly glancing around the park, relaxing a little as he noticed they were the only ones there.  

‘Dude, come on,’ Ned said loudly, after which he whispered, ‘As your guy in the chair, I advise you to make the most of your time there. You’ll be in college before you know it and then you won’t have time for this!’  

‘College?’   

'Yeah, you know, after high school comes college,' Ned said jokingly, thinking his friend was teasing him, his eyes then growing wide as he saw Peter going a deadly shade of white, ‘Omg, you did apply, right?’    

‘Of course!’ Peter said with a nervous laugh.  

‘But?’  

‘I haven’t checked yet whether I got a reply...’  

‘Oh shit, Pete,’ Ned said, slowly lowering his drink, 'Have you told Aunt May yet...? What did she say?'   

'I haven’t told her yet, Ned...'   

'… So, I guess even super heroes aren't invulnerable to the daily struggles of life... or college,' Ned tried, a careful smile on his face.  

‘Yeah, we’re just human, somewhere, parts of us anyway,’ Peter said with a laugh that sounded more courageous than he felt.  

'Yeah, about that...' Ned started, looking at his friend for a second. 'Can I ask you something?'   

'Sure, what is it?'  

'About your not-entirely-human date?'  

‘Oh, you mean Meya?’  

‘Yeah, “Meya”,’ Ned said with emphasis on the pseudonym. ‘So, how is he... she... the god..dess.. doing?' Ned shook his head a little, 'This is really confusing Pete, how do you call him?'    

‘I don’t expect to see Meya again, so “Loki” is fine. I mean, you could call him “Mister god of mischief” but yeah,’ Peter chuckled, ‘Doesn’t sound as normal as Loki, I guess.’   

‘Honestly, Pete, nothing about this situation sounds normal to me,’ Ned chuckled. 'But you're never gonna see her again, huh?'    

'No, Lokes was pretty clear about that,' Peter said while absentmindedly nodding his head.    

'Well, at least Val is into you now,' Ned replied with a smile, 'I don't know what you did, but it worked. She's just crazy about you ever since prom.'     

‘Val? About me? No, no,’ Peter said with a smile as he looked at his friend in disbelief. ‘Really?’    

‘Yeah, I saw her the other day, she actually approached me to ask about you. So weird!’   

‘What did she ask?’    

‘Whether you were going to some party or something, I don’t know, she was rattling and intimidating, so I told her the truth.’ Peter looked at his friend with an expecting look. ‘Oh, I told her I didn’t know what she was talking about. “You will,” that’s all she said, really weird.’  

'A party?' Peter asked, squinting his eyes a little as he thought this through, 'I wonder what party she's referring to...'   

  

'Parker!'   

  

The two turned around, both recognizing to whom the voice belonged to, both wondering why that person would speak to them.    

'- and friend,' Flash said as he looked at Peter and Ned, a large coffee from Starbucks in hand as he lowered his sunglasses slightly to look his two acquaintances in the eye.     

'Oh, uh, hey Fl-' Peter started, looking at Ned with questioning eyes as the arrogant teen took a seat next to them without asking.     

‘Okay losers, here’s the deal,' Flash interrupted, sliding up his glasses with a sassy smirk, 'Pete, I want you to come to my pool party.’     

‘What, why?’ Peter asked in confusion, completely taken aback by the direct statement.   

‘Oh, you know, because we're such good friends,' Flash said sarcastically, meanwhile checking his phone with a smile, 'Anway, you can _only_ come over if you bring Meya with you. She is clearly an awesome chick, so she’ll fit right in, but I don’t have her phone number and I’m sure you won’t deliver her this message if I don’t invite you too.’  

‘So...’ Peter said slowly, ‘You want Meya to come to your pool party, and you will allow me to come along, just as long as she’s there?’   

‘Yup, agreed?’  

‘No!’ Peter shouted, a little too loud, ‘Are you out of your mind?! Why would I want that?’    

‘Come on, Parker, it will be an awesome party and you can tell everyone you were there, how about that? Plus, there will be booze, so... Also,’ he continued with a mischievous smile ‘Imagine this: Meya in a bikini, stepping right out of the cool water, sun shining down on her, some romantic music in the background, doesn’t that sound good to you?’   

‘No, I, I mean yes, but,’ Peter stammered with a slight blush as the picture his classmate described started to form in his head, I’m not going, not unless...’ Peter looked to his friend for help, but Ned was just staring back at him, asking himself why on Earth his friend was being so difficult about this. ‘I won’t go unless Ned can come too!’   

‘What?’ Ned and Flash asked simultaneously, looking at one another before they looked back to Peter.  

‘You heard me,’ Peter said as he crossed his arms. ‘What’s it gonna be?’  

'So... You'll make sure your girl's coming... as long as he can come as well?' Flash asked, pointing at Ned.   

‘Yup, it’s the three of us or none of us,’ Peter said, trying to look like he was playing this cool while he was freaking out on the inside. Why was he doing this?! 'That's my bargain.'  

‘Fine,’ Flash said eventually, ‘But you better make sure she’s there, Parker.’    

'Uhm, Pete, didn’t you just say that L-Meya, would be, uhm, out of town for a while?' Ned asked with squinted eyes.     

‘What?’ Peter asked, looking at his friend in confusion, ‘Oh, right! No, no, I’ll just... call, her, and ask her if she wants to go to the party with us. I’m sure she’ll like that.’   

'If you say so...' Ned said, wondering whether this was a good idea or not.  

‘Oh, and if she has no place to crash for the night,’ Flash started with a wide grin, but as the two guys looked at him, one in confusion, one in smoldering anger, he decided not to talk to them any more than he had to. ‘Okay, great! Heads up, it's a pool party, so make sure Meya brings her swimming clothes, or nothing, I won’t stop her if she’s into skinny-dipping, know what I mean?' The teen smirked a little at the mere thought of the goddess standing in front of him with nothing but a towel wrapped around her perfect body. ‘Anyway, gentlemen, make sure to bring your life jackets, there’s an _actual_ pool there and I wouldn’t like anyone to drown at my party.’    

'Yeah, obviously,' Ned said, raising a brow, 'Anyway, what t-' he continued quickly as he noticed his friend’s highly irritated expression.

'Okay, it’s at my place. The hour: when the sun starts going down,’ Flash said with a confident smirk, but as his classmates stared at him in confusion, he rolled his eyes, ‘Eight o’clock, losers.’  

‘Right,’ Peter and Ned said. ‘We’ll be there,’ Peter added with a satisfied smirk.   

'Yeah, yeah, great,' Flash said, his attention already pulled back to his phone again as he stood up, 'Just make sure Meya's coming, okay?' he mentioned again as he walked away.   

'… I REALLY don't like that guy,' Peter grumbled with a sigh.  

‘Nope, but he throws awesome parties!’ Ned said with a bright smile. ‘Dude, I can’t believe you just got us three to go to the party!’  

'Yeah!' Peter said with a triumphant smile, though his smile was short to last, 'The three of us...'  

'You think you can get Loki to come? It didn’t really seem like he was having such a great time during prom and he did tell you he would never do this... Meya-thing again, right?'   

‘Yeah, well, I’ll have to convince him to become Meya just one more time, I suppose,' Peter said, trying to sound as confident as he could, but his shoulders dropped almost directly after and he pressed the tips of his fingers against his temple, 'Why am I such an idiot, Ned?’  

‘Because... Because you succeeded before, didn’t you?’ Ned said encouragingly, ‘I mean, you’re Spiderman, Pete! You can do anything you want!’   

  

 

*****

 

‘No.’ Loki stared at Peter in disbelief. ‘I did tell you it was a one-time thing, did I not?’  

'Please, Lokes? I'll never ask for anything else, I swear!' the teen begged the god as this was the answer he had already feared.     

‘Oh, have I not heard that one before?’ Loki smirked and he shook his head. ‘No, Peter, I am done with petty children’s parties and pathetic teenage feuds. Why should I go anyway? Why do _you_ even want to go? You hate that guy probably even more than I do, do you not?’  

‘Well, I maybe, might have, already, kind of said you would come,' Peter mumbled.   

'You already replied on my behalf?!’   

 'Please, Lokes, if not for me, then do it for Ned!’    

‘What does your friend have to do with this?!’   

'Well, uhm, it's just, we're not allowed to come if we don't bring Meya with us,' Peter said and he tried to smile.    

'So, I will be coming along as some sort of entrance ticket?! Do you have any idea how degrading this is?!' Loki hissed as he squinted his eyes, hardly believing the teen was asking him to continue this charade.    

'Well, yes, but no! Flash specifically mentioned you had to be there and...'     

‘And you have been talking while you should have kept your mouth shut, again,’ Loki said as he facepalmed himself. ’Peter,’ he looked at the boy for a second before he laughed out of the blue. ‘You are blackmailing me! I was wondering for a moment, but you are, and you are becoming more and more apt at it, I must say. Was it not you who told me to stop lying and deceiving people?!’ He calmed down a little and shook his head. ‘No, Peter, I will not go and that is final,' Loki said as he turned his attention back to the ancient pages of the book in his hands.     

'Lokes...' Peter tried again after which Loki glanced at him, his sharp emerald eyes staring right in his amber-lined pupils.     

‘Do not ask again, Peter, or I will have to turn you into a frog,’ Loki warned him.    

‘You’d do that?’ Peter said as his eyes widened in fear.    

‘No, you oaf, but I might be tempted to do so if you keep talking!’ he sneered, 'Also, have you ever thought about what your “parents” will think of this if they were to find out?'    

'Parents...?' Peter repeated, tilting his head a little.    

'Yes, Captain Mom and Iron Dad?’ Loki said, not being able to hide his own smirk, 'I think one trial was humiliating enough, would you not agree?'     

‘Oh, yeah, well they don’t _have_ to know...’   

‘Just this morning we agreed that this was over, and I, for my part, meant it,’ Loki said as his eyes strayed towards his book again, 'Honestly! And they call me the trickster! Well, I have to say, Peter, that you are a complete mystery to me. Your thinking pattern is not consistent at all.'   

Peter waited as Loki turned back to his book, a short silence filling the room. ‘So, this is it, huh?’    

‘I beg your pardon?'    

‘You just kiss me and then you show me the door?’ Peter tried in a final attempt to persuade the god, straightening his back and crossing his arms. ‘You're that kind of guy, huh?'    

‘Oh, for Norns’ sake, Peter, stop being so dramatic!’ Loki shouted, but he could not help but laugh at the comment. 'Was it not a, what did we decided on calling it again... a fling? Also, you kissed me first, you little liar! Do not even dare to blame me for it!’   

'I'm not,' Peter smiled, 'Just saying that, maybe...'  

‘AAAH!’ Loki shouted in irritation as he buried his face in his book. A silence followed his action and he looked up slowly as he kept feeling the teen's eyes peering at him through the thick cover of his book. ‘You are not leaving my room until I consent, are you?’ he asked despairingly.   

'Nope,' Peter smiled at him with a hint of hope in his eyes. 'So?'    

‘...I cannot believe I am doing this,’ Loki said, pitying himself so obviously that it made Peter laugh. ‘What is so amusing, blackmailer?’    

‘Nothing!’ Peter said, trying to keep his laughter to himself. ‘Oh, and don’t forget to bring your bathing suit.’    

‘MY WHAT?!’   

'It's a pool party! So, yeah, you'll be needing it. We leave at seven!' he shouted as he ran out of the trickster's room.    

'PETER PARKERSON! RETURN HERE AT ONCE!' the god commanded as he jumped from his chair, but the teen made sure he passed the corner and ran out of sight.    

‘Hey, what is going on, brother?’ Thor asked as Loki nearly crushed into him while trying to pursue Peter through the hallway.    

‘Nothing, brother, the boy just trespassed into my room, so I was about to turn him into a frog.’   

‘Ha, that is a classic! By all means,’ Thor laughed and he made way for Loki. ‘Do turn him back when you are less angered with him.'     

'I will try to keep that in mind,' Loki said, running down the stairs, chasing the teen.   

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for this chapter,
> 
> As we said before, there will be one more scene with Meya in it, after this, it's gonna be all Loki. (and believe me, we have a looooooot planned for this cute couple!)
> 
> anyway, in order to make up for the delayed posting, I will post the next chapter in two days! Thanks for hanging in there, see you all real soon!


	7. A familiar mask

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, 
> 
> Here's the next chapter, and as promised, it's updated a little bit sooner than usual :D  
> Thank you all for your awesome comments! really means a lot to us.
> 
> Anyway, I am going to do a little extra something from now on. At the end of each chapter, I will give you little facts about one of our Marvel characters which you hopefully did not know yet! Let's expand our Marvel knowledge and share the love with as many people as possible! Anyway, hope you will enjoy! <3
> 
> Lot's of love,  
> The Netherlands!

 

  

‘So, can I go now?’ Peter asked as he stood up from the dinner table. Most Avengers were still enjoying their dinner and Steve and Tony looked at him in surprise.     

‘What? You’re in a hurry?’ Tony asked.  

'Uhm, yeah, there's a party and I've been invited, so...'    

‘What kind of party, Pete?’ Steve asked with a smile.   

‘Uh, it’s a pool party.’   

'Pool party huh?' Rocket spoke with his mouth full, 'Best bring your inflatable armbands then,' he said as his own laughter disrupted his sentence.    

'I am Groot?' The Flora Colossus asked.    

'It was a joke, Groot,' Rocket sighed. 'I bet the kid can swim, but, because he looks so young with his baby face and all, I thought-' he then leaned slightly forward, looking past his friend. 'And how long are you going to keep staring, Man-Ant?'   

'I honestly don't know,' Scott replied as he kept his wide eyes on Groot and Rocket, 'I, I don't, uhm,' he tried to continue as he now looked at Gamora and Mantis, who were on his left. 'Where were you guys from again?'    

'Well, my greatest fan,' Quill started with a proud smirk as he amicably wrapped an arm around Scott’s shoulders, 'While you are all so busy protecting one little planet, _we_ are guarding the entire galaxy.'    

'We all come from different planets,' Gamora stated simply as she saw the still remaining confusion in the Antman's eyes.     

'Oh, uhm, okay, well it's good to know our galaxy is protected by a racoon and a tree,' Scott said as he looked around the table. 'Really uh, makes me feel safe, I guess.'    

At this, Mantis laid her hand on the man's leg, 'I believe you are lying,' she said with surprised eyes, 'It’s okay if you feel scared, Scott.’    

‘What?' No, I'm not, I just-'    

'Yes, you are scared of Groot,' Mantis added as she pointed at the tree with a smile to which Drax let out a loud laughter.     

'She totally embarrassed you!' Drax laughed as he slammed his hand loudly on the table, which earned him a deadly glare form his neighboring god of lies who had to keep his glass of water from spilling all over the table.   

'I am not scared,' Scott said with a quick smile.    

'Dude, it's okay,' Quill said, heroically placing his free hand on his chest, 'Nothing bad will happen on my watch.'   

'We nearly died on several occasions, Quill,' Gamora smirked as she took another bite from her dinner.    

'You should keep a close eye on your teammates, rabbit,' Thor said in a serious tone as he looked at Rocket, 'They are in obvious need of good guidance.'   

At this, Rocket couldn't help but laugh, 'And I will grant that to them, oh great Pirate Angel.' He then smirked at Quill. 'Good to know at least someone sees my full potential.'    

'So, uhm, the pool party, can I go?' Peter quickly intervened before the Starlord had the chance to react.  

‘Yeah, sure, sounds great, Peter,’ Steve said with a caring smile. ‘Have fun.’   

‘I will!’ Peter smiled and he looked at the trickster, who was quietly enjoying his meal again and did not seem to be in a hurry at all. Peter cleared his throat, but Loki did not look up. Awkwardly, the teen cleared his throat again, finally gaining the trickster’s attention, as well as that of the rest of the table.    

For a moment, Peter looked around, trying to find something to say before he would turn all red, but then he smiled and clasped his hands together. ‘Well, enjoy your dinner, everyone! See you later!’ he said enthusiastically, casting a questioning look at Loki as he walked out of the room.    

Loki's eyes silently followed the teen as he went up the stairs to his room, he shrugged and tried to continue his dinner, only now noticing that all eyes were on him. 'This feels uncomfortably familiar...' he said with a smirk as he looked Tony straight in the eye. ‘Do you need me to accompany him again?’    

‘No, you can just stay here,’ Tony said with a smile. ‘Unless,' he added as he lowered his fork a little, 'you have plans?’ he asked as he began to grow a little suspicious.    

'Not at all,' Loki said casually, trying to enjoy the rest of his meal.    

‘Good,’ Tony responded as he continued to eat his dinner.    

After a few minutes in which most of the Avengers had started talking with each other again, the trickster stood up without making a sound.  

'What are you doing? Something’s wrong?' Steve asked in surprise as he abruptly stopped his conversation with the Starlord, who was trying to prove to the Captain that he was a good leader by telling him stories about their epic adventures.   

‘I am done eating, Steven. I figured I would go to my room and read a little,’ the raven said calmly as he was a little surprised that anyone had noticed him standing up in the constant chaos of dinner. Yet, it didn't surprise him at all that, out of all people, it was the ever-so keen Captain that had noticed so.   

‘Alright,’ Steve said as he continued eating, but he noticed Tony’s interrogating stare. ‘What’s on your mind, Tony?’    

‘Nothing... I think,’ Tony said as he took a sip from his glass of water. ‘Enjoy your book, Lokes.’   

‘Thank you, Anthony, I will,’ Loki said as he walked upstairs, chuckling softly at the sad fact that he had already broken his promise not to lie. ‘You should not bring me into these kinds of situations then, Peter,’ he thought as he marched into his room, ready to disguise himself once more.    

'Lokes! You ready to go?!' Peter asked in an enthusiastic whisper as he stood in the door opening of the god's room.    

‘I _really_ do not like you, Peter,’ Loki said as he stood in front of his mirror, a hesitated expression on his face.  

‘Come on, Lokes, you ready or not?’ the teen asked again as he was hardly able to wait.   

As the god looked at the excited expression of the teen, he let out a sigh and turned his attention once more to the mirror in front of him. ‘Almost,' he sighed as he realized he would not be able to change the boy's mind. 'I cannot make up my mind about the bathing suit.’     

‘Uh,’ Peter uttered as he stood in the doorway, not a clue about what he ought to do. ‘Should I help you or anything? Help you choose?’   

‘As if you know a thing about women’s clothes, Peter.' Loki smirked a little, ‘It is just that I do not know what Midgardian women wear as swim attire, so, thank you, but you can stay there.’    

'Hey, at least I tried,' Peter chuckled happily.    

After a green glow illuminated the room, Meya stood in front of him once more, wearing a long, green Summer dress as she tied her raven hair into a ponytail.    

‘Shall we go?’ Loki asked with a sigh as he turned around once more to stare at his, or rather, her, reflection in the mirror. She then looked at Peter again, a gloomy expression on her face as her shoulders dropped.    

'Well,' Peter started, a bright smile on his face as warm and salutary memories started to play in his head. A softly ticklish feeling in his stomach made him blind to the god's obvious discomfort. 'You do know it's really, _really_ warm outside, right?' he said, gesturing to the dress.     

‘Oh, please, Peter,’ the trickster answered, clearly annoyed as he already started to walk down the hallway. ‘I will be fine. Now we should get out of the house, really soon, before anyone sees us and-’    

‘Hey, Pete,’ Tony said as he encountered the couple in the hallway. 'We decided to just drop by and check on you before you go,’ Tony added with a smirk as he stood in their way, winged by Thor. ‘Who’s your friend?’    

'MISTER STARK!' Peter screamed, not meaning to do so, 'It's not what it seems! Really! It's just-!'   

‘The name’s Daisy, sir,’ an unfamiliar voice sounded and Peter followed the arm that stretched out next to him back to the body of a cute blonde girl wearing a short yellow dress, showing off a bronzed skin.  

Tony shook her hand and smiled. ‘Pleasure to meet you.’    

‘Likewise, sir. I have heard so much about you from Peter, I was really a bit scared to meet you. I mean, you are Tony Stark, it is a lot to take in, and-’ Before the girl could ramble on, she felt a sharp elbow in her side coming from Peter.    

'Not to worry, fair maiden,' Thor smiled brightly, 'He might look rather sullen, but there is quite a gentle spirit underneath that moody look.' He laughed as he patted Tony on his back, 'Honestly Peter, you do not have to hide your friends from us, especially if they are of such beauty.'    

‘Thank you, sir,’ she said with a smile. ‘Uhm, Peter? We should really get going...’   

‘Right, right!’ Peter said and he looked at the two men before him. ‘If you will excuse, uh, Daisy and me, we’ll go to the party now. It’s not too far from here, so we’ll probably walk.’   

‘Alright, have fun you two,’ Tony said with a smile, making way for both adolescents. Tony and Thor followed the teens with their eyes until they had disappeared down the stairs.    

'She seems quite... nice, would you not agree?' Thor said with a smile, ‘Somehow familiar, though...’  

'Yeah...' Tony said in agreement though a hint of suspicion shone through, 'She sure does.'  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for this chapter!
> 
> Now, for our first super hero facts of the day, please welcome our God of Thunder, the wielder of Mjölnir, or, as our dearest Grandmaster would call him; Sparkles!
> 
> Here are three Comic facts about Thor, you might not have known.
> 
> 1.Thor was actually turned into a frog once by Loki. Thror had many adventures, including saving the frogs from Central Park from an army of rats. (that's what inspired us to let Thor refer to Loki's plan of turning Peter into a frog as "classic" in our previous chapter!)  
> 2\. Thor isn't the only one who was deemed worthy of wielding Mjölnir! Some other well-known characters who have hold the hammer (and were able to lift it) have been; Captain America, Super man and Wonder woman.  
> 3\. A lot of other characters have been known to wear the mantle of Thor when he was deemed unworthy. The most noticeable of all being Jane Foster, she adopts the name Thor, the Goddess of Thunder, and joins the Avengers. This storyline ends with the character sacrificing her life to defeat a dangerous adversary, and the reverting of the mantle Thor to its original bearer.
> 
> And that's it for the facts! Please let us know if you like them and if I should continue doing this!  
> And, of course, please let us know what you think of this chapter in the comments!
> 
> Thanks again and see you in 2 / 3 days!


	8. Winter's Child, Summer's night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone and welcome back!
> 
> Thank you all so so much for your awesome comments and support! Love it!!!
> 
> Also! The Marvel facts are staying! which means that, with each new chapter, we are gonna provide you with three facts about a random Marvel character you hopefully didn't know.
> 
> anyway, here's the next chapter, you'll find the 3 facts at the end of it! Who's it gonna be today? :D

 

'I truly hope this was the last time I will have to listen to my own brother calling me a beauty,' Loki sighed as the two walked down the street. Strangely enough, he felt glad to be disguised as Meya again, or at least he preferred this disguise to the hastily invented Daisy.    

'Well, it did work, they didn't seem to recognize you at all,' Peter said, his bright smile never fading once since the moment they left Stark Tower. ‘Your powers are really awesome Lokes! How did you manage to change into a whole different character so fast?’   

‘Easy, my brother walks like a bilgesnipe, I heard him stomping up the stairs so...’ Loki uttered and he sight. 'Deceiving my brother is quite easy, I've been doing so for years,' he remarked unimpressed, 'though I am rather relieved that it seemed to work for Anthony as well. For a minute I thought he was on to us,' he added with a slight smile.    

‘Yeah, it was pretty close, but hey, here we are!’    

'So it seems,' Loki said, watching their reflections through the windows of passing stores 'Still, how can you be so cheerful? You just lied to your guardian, again, and you are about to deceive a party full of people with your fake-date. What do you hope to gain out of this?’  

‘I don’t know,’ Peter shrugged. ‘Maybe I’m just excited to go to a party. Or I’m excited to go there with you,’ but as the trickster looked at him with a raised brow, Peter quickly chuckled and stared at the ground, not knowing how to continue. Then he noticed Loki fidgeting with his dress and sighing irritated. ‘Something wrong?’ Peter asked.  

‘No, I am fine, it is just...’ The trickster inhaled deeply before making the confession, ‘I am very, _very_ hot, Peter.’  

‘Yeah, I noticed,’ Peter smirked as his eyes strayed up and down a little, unknowingly admiring the girl's gorgeous body.   

'I thought Muspelheim was bad, but these Midgardian Summers are not to be taken lightly either,' Loki said as he tried to ignore the heat as best as he could, 'I already noticed so when I first came to Midgard, I thought it was because of my royal tunic but...'  

‘Oh, you’re actually “hot”, as in, temperature-wise...’ Peter said with a bit of a blush as he chuckled, ‘I told you, that dress is way too warm for this weather.’    

'Fine, you were right,' Loki admitted, 'Just tell me when we arrive at our destination so I can get this dress off.'   

'Don't worry, we're almost there,' Peter smiled, 'I do have to say, Lokes, I never would have thought the weather would have such an effect on you, I mean, Thor really seems to enjoy it but you... Well, not so much.’    

‘Yes, well, Thor is a Summer child,’ Loki said with a sigh, ‘We are quite different, and that is one of our major differences it seems.’  

‘Couldn’t you, you know, change your outfit again?’    

‘What, you mean now? In the busy streets? What a great idea, Peter!’ Loki reacted sarcastically as he wiped his forehead.    

'Okay, okay, sorry, sheesh,' Peter said, averting his eyes to the streets, 'Just trying to help,' he mumbled.    

Loki stared at the teen for a second before letting out a sigh in guilt, 'My apologies, Peter, I know you mean well... It is just this dreadful weather, really...'    

'It's okay, I can take it,' Peter smiled kindly, his smile only widening as he received a gentle smile from the trickster in return.     

‘But I like your plan. At the party I will just shift into something more suitable for these tropical temperatures.’   

'Better think of something quick, ‘cause we’re here,’ Peter said pointing at a house at the end of the street.     

In silence the two walked towards the big house, music already booming through the air from the backyard.     

‘Are you absolutely certain you want to do this...?’ Loki asked one last time. 'I mean, we could still return to Stark Tower, if you would like to.'    

‘No, it’s okay, we’ll be fine,’ Peter said with an encouraging smile. ‘Plus, Ned is already inside, he just texted me about it, so we can’t let him stay there on his own, can we?’   

‘Well...’ Loki started, but he laughed as Peter looked at him in a desperate way. ‘Of course not.’    

Peter smiled and rang the doorbell, waiting anxiously in front of the big front door.    

‘Parker, I should have known it was you,’ Flash said as he opened the door, ‘You’d be the only one who would use the front door when there’s a sign that you should go straight to the back.’ He then focused on Meya. ‘Hey there, beauty,’ he said in a sultry voice.   

'Good evening, Flash,' Loki smiled though he already felt a shiver running down his spine, 'I see you have recovered quite nicely from our last encounter,' he added as kindly as he could.     

‘Yeah, well, you didn’t hurt me _that_ much,’ Flash said with a chuckle as he tried to regain his former composure.    

‘Good to hear,’ Loki said with a smirk.    

'Well, come in,' Flash said as he took a step aside to let his guests enter, 'I like the dress Meya, looks good on you.'    

‘Well, enjoy it, I will not be wearing it for long,’ the trickster said with a smirk, leaving the teen breathless for a moment.    

'Well, I'm sure I'll enjoy you just as much in whatever you will be wearing throughout the rest of the evening,' Flash smiled as some lewd fantasies started to rampage through his head.   

‘Ah, you two _do_ have the same problem!’ Meya said as she chuckled. Peter and Flash looked at one another and back to Meya. ‘You both talk too much,’ she added as she walked into the backyard.    

‘Gee, Parker, where did you pick her up again?’ Flash asked, staring after the young woman.   

‘Uh, well, this time I had to delay her from flying back to Norway and convince her to spend another night here. She didn’t mind that much,’ Peter said with a smirk.    

'Of course she didn't, after all, it's my party and my parties are legendary,' Flash smiled confidently as his gaze followed the raven. ‘Anyway, she can spend the night here, and don’t worry, I’ve got a double bed, so it’ll be alright,’ he added as he imagined the goddess lying on top of his bed, wearing nothing but, well, he liked the idea of her just wearing nothing at all. ‘Maybe a couple of drinks, some nice candles, romantic music, you know, to set the right mood. And then, it’ll just be me and her,’ he nodded, his eyes then turning to his classmate again as Peter glared at him in anger. ‘What? She wasn’t going to stay at your house in the first place and even if she was, where would you let her sleep? On the couch? Your aunt’s place isn’t all that big, right? Plus, weren’t you two just friends? A girl like that needs to be able to spread her gorgeous pale le-’ but as Flash looked at his classmate and saw the highly irritated twitch in Peter’s eyes, he decided to quickly correct himself, ‘wings, I was gonna say wings, Parker.’ 

Peter stared at his host in confusion before forcing a smile onto his face. ‘We’re just friends, sure,’ he started as casually as possible, but then his face grew more serious as he looked Flash in the eye, ’But there’s no way she’s staying here, not with you! And just for the record-!’  

'Pete!' Ned shouted as he waved at his best friend with an enthusiastic smile from the back of the yard.     

'Don’t worry, Parker, you go enjoy your evening with your friend. I'll just go over there and keep Meya company,' Flash said as he patted Peter hard on his back.    

'Good luck. I hope for your sake that you watch your mouth or you’ll be kissing the floor again,’ Peter said with a shrug and a smirk, although he had to use all his strength to stop himself from growing visibly angry.   

‘Oh, unlike you, I don’t need luck, _friend_ ,’ Flash said with a smirk as he walked away and Peter went over to Ned, while his eyes searched for his raven friend in disguise. 

‘Hey, seems like Flash is really into “Meya,” don’t you think?’ Ned giggled, nudging his best friend. ‘He’s got no clue.’    

'Yeah, I guess,' Peter confirmed a little agitated, 'Have you seen her anywhere?     

'Uh, yeah I think I saw her disappear behind the garage. She was being really sneaky tough,' Ned said as he looked at the building.    

At that moment the raven-haired beauty walked towards them, head held high like a queen, a slightly see-through skirt wrapped around her hips as for the rest, she was merely wearing a dark green swimsuit.   

‘What were you talking about?’ Meya asked innocently, tilting her head a little.    

‘You,’ Ned uttered as he blinked. ‘Yeah, I get that Flash doesn’t know you’re a guy, holy smokes.’     

'Meya, you look-' Peter started with wide open eyes.   

‘Less hot, fortunately,’ Meya said with a smile as she moved around a little.    

'I wouldn't say that,' Ned chuckled, raising his brows.    

‘Was that a compliment, Edward?’ Loki asked with a smirk.    

‘It was,’ Ned smiled. ‘You look great, L-, Meya.’  

'Thank you,' the raven said as he smiled a bit uncomfortably, his eyes then drawn to the person he considered his date once more. ‘So, is this acceptable for you as well?'    

'Yes, definitely, yes!' Peter quickly responded as he looked Meya up and down, staring without even noticing he did so.    

‘So, you are certain that I should not change back into that long dress, then?’    

'No, Meya, really, you look am,-'     

‘MEYA!’ Liz shouted as she ran towards them, hugging the trickster tightly. ‘OMG! I’m so happy to see you! You look amazing, girl! I was really hoping you would be here!’    

'Thank you, Liz,' Meya laughed as she tried to get used to the hug, 'It is good to see you too.'    

‘Peter, Ned,’ Liz said as she noticed the two standing there as well and she quickly let go of the girl in her arms, ‘Sorry, it’s just, I thought I would never see you again, Mey!’   

‘Yes, she postponed her trip back to Norway,’ Peter helped the trickster, who was a bit lost for words.    

‘Really? That is amazing! Hey, maybe we can finally dance, huh? We didn’t really get the chance last time,’ Liz said with a smile.   

'Dance?' the trio asked simultaneously, looking at Liz with a questioning expression.    

'I beg your pardon, Liz, did you just ask me to dance? With you?'   

'Yeah, there's a huge tv at the front of the garden where we can play Just Dance!' Liz shouted enthusiastically. 'Come on, let's go!'    

‘Oh, yes, sure, let’s go,’ Meya said as she looked at the two boys in a questioning manner before being pulled to the other side of the garden.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's all folks!
> 
> Now, please welcome the one and only friendly neighborhood Spider-man, who is here to provide us with three facts you probably didn't know!
> 
>  
> 
> Spiderman is a real team player, no secrets there! He’s teamed up with Daredevil when he turned blind and has even shared a hot dog with our dearest god of mischief (also a yo-mama contest with Deadpool!). But more noticeable alliances you might not know about are: Spiderman helping the Autobots in Transformers, Spiderman working together with Batman to stop Joker and, last but not least, Spiderman working together with president Barak Obama! 
> 
> At some point in the comics, Spider-man was actually able to shoot his own webbing for he had developed glands in his orearms that allowed him to produce and shoot webbing the same way that the web shooters had. The web dissolves within an hour yet is strong enough to hold the hulk. It is also faster than a bullet. In one situation, Spider-man managed to web a gun as the trigger was being pulled.
> 
> Now for my personal favorite fact which I did not know about, Spiderman had radioactive sperm! Unfortunately for all those women he's been with, Spider-Man is lethal in bed. Literally. We got an in-depth explanation in de comic of how “like a spider, crawling up inside your body and laying a thousand eggs of cancer” he killed Mary Jane with his love. On top of that, Parker yells all this at Mary Jane's corpse after having dug up her coffin. Just to show she was not okay with this, MJ's skull bites his face.
> 
> That's it for today! Hope you'll join us next time (in two days!)   
> Please leave a comment :D


	9. The little mermaid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone and welcome back!
> 
> I don't really have much to say to you this time so... Enjoy please!

 

Peter and Ned stayed put, staring at the two girls. Liz was enthusiastically talking to the god, while Meya listened quietly with an occasional nod, a gentle smile on her face.    

‘It’s a bit weird to say, but he does look like a normal girl,’ Ned said confused.    

‘Yeah,’ Peter said with a slow nod.    

‘Heads up, losers!’ a voice sounded before both guys felt a hand in their back, pushing them into the pool.    

‘Oh, come on!’ Ned shouted at Flash, who stood grinning near the pool.   

‘Hey, I warned you, it's a pool party, anything could happen,’ Flash said as he triumphantly crossed his arms while standing at the edge of the pool, a wide grin on his face.    

'Hilarious, Flash,' Peter managed to speak while coughing loudly. 'Absolutely hilarious.'    

‘That's what I was thinking,’ Flash agreed with a smirk.    

The three then looked up as they heard a girl giggle. They saw Liz as she had turned around to search where all the commotion was coming form, a wide grin on her face as she walked back to the three, Meya close at her side.    

'Sorry guys, but you should have seen your faces,' she chuckled.   

Peter looked at Meya who was merely standing next to Liz with wide questioning eyes before even she let out a loud laughter.     

'My apologies, Peter, Ned, but Liz is right, your expressions are priceless,' the raven said, trying to hide a smile behind his hand.     

Peter looked up in awe as he stared at the trickster, who was now standing at the edge of the pool. The teen nearly forgot to keep swimming as he let his eyes fall on seemingly endless white legs, followed by a fine waistline, beautiful raven hair shining in the lights of the pool as gracious emeralds glistened with laughter. All of this perfectly presented with a star filled sky that could not compare to the girl's beauty.    

'Honestly though,' Loki chuckled as he crouched down at the edge of the pool, an alluring smile on his face 'Peter, the wet dog look suits you perfectly. It matches your puppy eyes.'    

After Peter first stared back a little, a more mischievous smile formed on his face, 'Oh really?' he asked as he swam towards the trickster, 'Have I ever told you that you remind me of a mermaid?'     

At this Loki tilted his head a little, 'I beg your pardon?'     

The teen laughed as he grabbed the raven's wrist and pulled her in the pool, causing her to yelp loudly as he did so. Peter, Ned and Liz laughed as the trickster was pulled into the cooling water, head first.    

'I'm gonna grab something to drink,' Liz said, 'Wait here, I'll join you guys in a minute!' she added as she quickly made her way towards a large table, which was filled with all sorts of drinks and snacks.     

'Yeah, I'll join you,' Flash said as he followed her.    

'Not so funny anymore, huh?' Peter laughed as the trickster resurfaced loudly, gasping for air, but his laughter was short to last as he felt sharp nails digging into the skin of his waist and chest. He wanted to look down at what was causing the stinging pain, but a cold body suddenly wrapped itself completely around him, making it rather hard for him to swim. 'Lokes?' Peter asked a little puzzled, his voice slightly suppressed by two arms which were clenched tightly around his neck.    

'For Norns sake Peter, do not dare to let go of me!' the raven commanded the teen in panic, her trembling arms clenched around the teen's neck, her legs around his waist in an attempt to get a better grip.    

'Wooow, you know who you remind me of now?' Ned smiled as he looked at the trickster, 'Ah, what's the guy's name again... Ah! Yes, the Winter Soldier, you look just like him,' he added, pointing at the raven's face, the neat eyeliner and mascara now having gone runny, large black stains encircling the bright emerald terrified eyes. Ned's smile didn't last long, however, as his remark got replied with a deadly glare. 'Yeah,' Ned said a little hesitantly, already backing away a little, 'Your uhm, your expression is exactly the same as well, a bit of an I-didn't-mean-to-but-I-might-kill-you kinda look,' he said, chuckling a little nervously. 'You know what, I'm gonna get a drink as well, uhm, enjoy the pool you two,' he said as he quickly got out of the water. 

Peter froze as the darkly circled eyes now looked at him through a curtain of black hair. 'I swear, I didn't know you couldn't swim,' he quickly said.     

'I CAN SWIM, YOU DUNCE!' the trickster shouted at him, pushing him away violently, but as he was not able to handle himself in the water right away, he quickly pulled Peter close again, 'I just do not enjoy these kinds of surprises! It's rather deep for a private pool, would you not agree?'  

Peter chuckled. 'I take that back about you resembling a mermaid. You're more of a soaked cat or something.'    

'Peter Parker!' the trickster said, pretending to be outraged. 'Is that any way to speak to your date, whom you had to beg to come here in the first place?'    

'Yeah, you're right, I'm sorry,' Peter said with a sigh, looking the trickster in the eye, not able to suppress a little smirk.   

Loki was not able to hide a soft chuckle as he rubbed his eyes, thus smearing the make-up only further over his face, but as he looked as his hands, which were covered in mascara and eyeliner stains, he just waved his hand over his face, his Seidr restoring the make-up to resemble less of a frustrated assassin. 'You are such an immature brat,' Loki said with a sigh as he looked at the teen.  

'Isn't that what you like most about me?' Peter asked, throwing the trickster a teasing smirk.     

'Oh yes, it has to be, I mean, it could not be your charm, that is lacking completely,' Meya laughed, now pushing Peter away more gently as she tried to swim. 'And I do not need a charmless brat to save me, thank you very much.'    

Peter smiled in compassion as he watched the raven struggle to swim, he then smirked as a little plan formed in his head, causing him to dive deep into the water, thus able to swim under the raven's radar, and he suddenly emerged in front of his date with a loud shout.   

'DAMN IT, PARKERSON!' Meya shouted after which she quickly wrapped her arms around the boy's neck again, her nails digging into the teen's back.     

'I'm sorry, I just couldn't help myself,' Peter laughed, holding his stomach as the laughing started to affect his muscles. 'It, ha! It was just too funny, Lokes!' he went on, his laughing hindering him in more ways than one from swimming properly.    

After calming down a little, the trickster could not help but join Peter in his contagious laughter as he swam towards the edge of the pool. 'Well, you are very lucky that we are surrounded by your fellow classmates, Peter, or I would turn myself into a mermaid and drown you,' she chuckled.    

'Oh you wouldn't!' Peter shouted, swimming swiftly towards the trickster.  

'No! Get away from me!' Loki yelled, laughing all the while as Peter came closer.    

'Relax, I just wanted to...' Peter said as he gently brushed a strand of wet hair from Meya's face. 'There, that looks better.'  

For a second the trickster became silent, but suddenly he started to splash water into the teen's face. 'First lesson, Parker! Never let your guard down! I'm not finished with you, you sneaky little water rat!'  

Peter started to splash water at the raven as well, both of them shouting and laughing, until Loki suddenly pushed Peter's hands underwater as he briefly gave the boy a kiss on his lips, causing the teen to freeze completely. 'There, now, if you will excuse me,’ Meya said as she saw Liz returning, ‘My dance partner is waiting for me.'    

The trickster then dragged himself out of the water, walking towards Liz with the same grace and calm as before.    

'Y-yeah... sure,' Peter mumbled as the two girls now stood next to each other.    

'Well, have fun, Peter,' Liz chuckled as she took the raven's hand once more and pulled her towards the dancing game. 'You two make such a cute couple!' the brunette harshly whispered in excitement as she held on to the god's hand.    

'I beg your pardon?' Meya asked as with furrowed brows, 'Liz, I will state this only once, Peter and I are not together and,' a more saddened expression now coloured her face, 'and I think we never will be.'    

'Are you kidding me? Mey, you two are adorable together and you just kissed him!' Liz smiled brightly.    

'That was a grave mistake,' the trickster stated coldly, rather speaking to himself than to the girl. 'Nothing more.'    

'What? Why? Mey, I'm serious you two would be perf,' but the girl's smile then faded as she saw a slightly remorseful expression on the trickster's face. 'It's the distance, huh?' she then asked more calmly.    

'Distance?'   

'Yeah, you know, once you're back in Norway, you two won't be able to see each other again. Not anytime soon, I mean.'     

'… Indeed, it is the distance,' Loki nodded as the two now stood in front of the television, the game already turned on. 'Now tell me, how is this game played?' he asked, as he tried to change the subject.    

'Okay,' Liz said with a gentle smile as she turned her attention to the tv as well, 'First we choose our song. So, which will it be?’    

'Anything will do, really,' Loki said, staring at the options screen displayed on the large 75-inch screen.    

‘Oh, how about that one!’ Liz pointed to a song.   

‘”Beautiful Liars”?’ Loki asked, a little surprised. ‘Is that a nice song?’    

‘Only a song with two super women, I’m just saying,’ Liz said with a smile, ‘And it’s really catchy. I don’t think it is too hard either.’    

'If you say so,' Loki said after taking a deep breath. He then turned around as he noticed more people gathering behind them and taking a seat on the luxurious lounge set, 'Are they... are they all here to watch...?'    

‘Ah, let them, we’re gonna kill this,’ Liz said as she clicked on the song. ‘You don’t need a remote or anything, just stand right there,’ she instructed as she put Meya on a spot in front of the television. ‘Okay, so you do what the person on the right is doing, I’ll follow the one on the left, and then we see who wins. Ready?’    

'Ready as I will ever be,' Loki said, focusing on the television as Liz stood closely next to him. 'So just copy their moves, right?'   

'Right,' Liz nodded with a confident smile.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for this chapter!
> 
> Now, here are three facts of today's Marvel character. Please welcome the god of mischief, the prince of lairs, the trickster god! Loki!
> 
>  
> 
> 1\. Or god is known to have many powers, most noticeable of them being: shifting between genders and seize. Being immune to deceases and poison and he can read minds, memories and can teleport and hypnotize!
> 
> 2\. In Norse mythology, Loki has 3 children with a Jotunn woman named Angrbooa (the serpent Jormungandr the wolf Fenrir and a daughter named Hell.) The gods feared Loki’s children, thus condemning Jormungandr to spend eternity in the ocean, the wolf Fenrir got tied down with a sword vertically placed in its mouth to make sure he could never bite anyone, only to be killed during Ragnarok by the hand of Odin’s son. Finally, there was Hell, who was send to Hellheim and became to goddess of death. Loki is also the MOTHER of another animal-child, Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse, who Odin has taken from Loki and uses for himself. For Loki’s many crimes against them, the gods eventually forge a chain from the entrails of Loki’s son Narfi and tie him down to three rocks inside a cave. A venomous serpent sits above him, dripping poison onto him. 
> 
> 3\. Loki used his Seiðr to get his name off the list of Hellheim, which meant that, if he died, he would reincarnate as a child. Loki has done so and tried to use this chance to better his ways and become “good”. Unfortunately for him, thanks to the Allmother Frigga, Loki always remained being the scapegoat, despite all his efforts.
> 
> Well, that's it for this chapter! See you in 2 days, promise!


	10. All the wrong moves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone and welcome back.
> 
> So for now, I'd like to give you this link to my DeviantArt, it's got some sketches on Loki's (Meya's) summer dress and bathing suit! Please check those out if you'd like and let me know what you think! (please have mercy on me, they're just quick sketches!)
> 
> https://www.deviantart.com/missboaboa/art/Dresses-763005673
> 
> (If the link doesn't work, please go to DeviantArt.com and search for MissBoaBoa!)
> 
> And now, a word from our dearest Captain America:
> 
> 'Hi everyone, it's an honor to be here, I'd just like to warn you for this chapter will contain the following: Language! I just thought you should know. This was Steve Rogers, back to you, MissBoaBoa.'
> 
> Yes, thanks cap! As our blond super soldier was saying, this chapter will contain some language and name-calling, so now you know! 
> 
> Please enjoy!

 

'I'm telling you, Ned, I _really_ don't like Flash,' Peter grumbled as he pulled himself out of the pool, keeping a close eye on his classmate as he saw him walking towards the two dancing girls.    

'Yeah, he's a jerk,' Ned agreed, giving his friend a hand, 'We’ll have our revenge, someday,' he said as the two now stood at the side of the pool, their clothes soaking wet. 'At least Liz and L- Meya, are having a good time,' he remarked as he noticed the still gathering and cheering crowd surrounding the two girls.   

'What do you mean?' Peter asked and he followed Ned's gaze, his eyes then locked on the gracious, almost hypnotizing, and dare he say sexy movements of the raven god.   

'He really does look like an average teen, huh?' Ned asked but he got no response.     

'Pete?' He tried again, still nothing.    

'Pete!'    

'What?!' Peter asked, shaking his head and looking at his friend with a slightly irritated expression.   

‘I said that he does look like, oh who am I kidding, I wouldn’t call _that_ average,’ Ned gave up as he saw the smooth movements of the god. ‘That’s just, yeah, I don’t know what to say.’    

‘Same,’ Peter agreed as they stared at the two girls, though his eyes were exclusively focussed on the trickster.   

'Must suck to see her change back into... well, her actual self, huh?'    

‘Uh, well...’ Peter started, ‘About that, Ned, I think I-’    

‘Hey, Peter,’ a familiar sultry voice spoke from behind the teen and he felt a shiver run down from his head to his toes.    

'Hey, Val!' Peter smiled, as he turned around and looked at the brunette, hardly able to believe that the girl was willing to speak with him again after their last encounter at prom.    

'I will uhm, check all the commotion at the tv. See you later, Pete,' Ned said with a slightly too obvious wink and he left the two.    

Valerie waved Ned goodbye with a kind smile as he walked away, her attention then brought back to the teen in front of her, 'So, uhm, listen, there is something I would like to say,' she started hesitantly, ‘I wanted to apologize for what happened at prom, Pete.’    

'You do?' Peter asked while frowning, 'I mean, of course, no problem, it's okay, really.' He quickly added with a smile as he saw the girl's slightly nervous but innocent expression.    

‘I just felt a little, well, I don’t know what came over me. Your friend,’ she looked over at the two dancing girls and the cheering crowd, which consisted mostly of boys, surrounding them, ‘She’s quite intimidating. It’s hard to compete with her, you know?’  

'Yeah,' Peter said as his eyes, once again, were locked on the raven's movements. 'She really is something...' he said absentmindedly.    

'However,' Valerie quickly spoke, pulling Peter's attention back to her again, 'Now we can talk, alone, just the two of us, finally,’ she said with a significant smile as she gently took hold of his hand, letting her fingers intertwine with his.    

‘Uh, y-yeah, I guess...’ Peter stammered, not really sure what to do, except for regaining his hand.    

‘Come with me.’ She pulled him along to a distant corner of the backyard before he could protest. ‘So, now there’s just the two of us,’ she said in her most gentle voice, a loving smile on her face.   

‘Val...’ Peter started, but as her deep eyes looked into his, he nervously shut his mouth again.   

‘Peter, I, I don’t know how to say this any clearer...’ the girls started, making sure Peter’s eyes were on her as she took a deep breath, ‘I like you, I _really_ like you. It may seem unlikely, you know, we weren’t exactly part of the same group of friends or anything, but, I don’t know, I just do.’    

After hearing this, Peter felt his hands and knees shaking, his heart beating loudly in his chest. ‘Val, if I can be honest, you have always been kind of the girl of my dreams, anyone’s dreams I suppose, actually,’ he quickly corrected himself as he saw a hopeful smile on her face.    

'So, it’s settled?' Valerie smiled before Peter could continue and finish his sentence.    

‘What is?’   

‘This...’ she said softly as she kissed him on his lips, at which Peter closed his eyes as he felt her hands softly massaging the skin in the back of his neck, holding him close.   

  

*****

 

‘Your dance moves are impressive,’ Flash said with a smile as Meya was talking to Liz, still standing on the dancefloor in front of the tv.    

'Thank you,' the god said, his eyes still on the tv, 'Shall we do one more, Elizabeth?' he asked and he directly heard the crowd behind them cheering, encouraging the two girls to dance again.     

‘Nah, I’m going to get a drink,’ Liz said a little uncomfortable, ‘You want one too?’   

‘Yes, please,’ Loki said with a smile.     

‘We could dance?’ Flash suggested to Meya with a charming smile as Liz walked away.   

‘What? You and me?’ the trickster looked at the teen in surprise, but then he grinned. ‘You must be dying to be defeated again.’   

‘Oh, we’ll see about that,’ Flash smirked and together they looked through the list of songs. ‘What about that one?’ he asked as he took a step closer to the goddess and pointed at one of the titles.    

‘“Bailando,” huh, sounds agreeable, I guess. What kind of dance is it?’ the trickster asked a little doubtfully.   

Flash chuckled as he saw the raven's suspicious expression, looking the trickster up and down with a salacious smirk, ‘What's wrong? I thought you liked a challenge? You're not giving up already, are you?’    

'I most certainly am not!' Loki stated, a devious grin instantly turning to his face, 'I accept your challenge, Flash.'   

‘Great,’ Flash said with a sly grin as he clicked on the song. ‘Let’s dance.’    

The two got in place as given by the game, Flash smirking a little, while Loki's eyes were merely locked on the screen. If the trickster was not as competitive, the scheme might have dawned on him soon enough, but his attention was fixated on one thing and one thing only: winning.    

As the dance started, the crowd’s attention was drawn to the dancers again, who were often dancing uncommonly close to each other, the song involving a partner-dance.  

'You're doing great, Meya,' Flash whispered in her ear as he kept her close against his body, his lips nearly caressing her cheek, his hands moving from chest, to her small waist and down to her hips, feeling the soft porcelain skin underneath his fingers.    

‘You better concentrate on the game,’ the trickster said with a smirk as he saw his still increasing score on the screen. 'it seems like I am winning this round.'    

At this, Flash couldn’t help but let out a sly laugh as the raven turned around in his arms, their faces now close to each other, 'I wonder who the real winner is here, Meya,' he said as he held her hands in his own. 'I really wonder.'  

  

*****

 

As Valerie finally allowed Peter to breathe, she took his hands in her own and sighed, a dream-like smile on her face.    

Not knowing what to say or do right now, Peter just stared back at the girl in absolute astonishment. His confusion only making him even more nervous. This was the moment he had dreamed of. Ever since he first saw Valerie walking down the school’s hallway, he had a crush on her so severe that his throat would choke up every time she walked past.   

So why?    

Why did he feel so completely lost and confused, or even more so, why did he feel so guilty?    

‘Val, why would you...’    

‘Peter, are you really that slow? I just told you I like you, I _really_ like you,’ Valerie chuckled, pulling him close again. ‘Gosh, you do look really cute when you’re that confused,’ she giggled, about to press another kiss on his lips, but Peter stopped her and looked into her eyes.     

That's it, he thought. He didn’t see the same eyes he’d seen before, the ones he so hopelessly fell in love with seemed to be completely non-existent. These eyes did not sparkle, they didn’t ask him questions; they merely told him to shut up and kiss her.    

‘Val, this is really, really hard for me to say, but I can’t do this to Meya. It’s not fair to her, or to you,’ he managed to speak.    

Val looked at him, absolutely stupefied, she then turned to Meya, who was dancing with Flash. ‘Well, your slutty friend doesn’t seem to mind, Pete. I wouldn’t worry too much about it,’ she said after which she turned her attention back to the adolescent in her arms, her hands resting on his chest as she softly caressed the skin underneath.    

'Slutty...?' Peter repeated with a frown as he could hardly believe the girl's choice of words, he then looked at the dancing couple. He saw how Flash tried to constantly gain the god's attention but Loki's eyes were completely focused on the television screen, ignoring Flash as if he wasn't even there at all.    

‘Yeah, can’t you see? She loves all the attention, Pete!’ Valerie continued as she looked at the cheering crowd. ‘And clearly, you and Flash aren’t the first boys she’s "danced" with. It’s obvious.’    

'Val,' Peter said as his frown now grew into a more irritated expression.    

‘Shh, Pete, don’t ruin this,’ the girl said as she lay a finger on his lips. ‘We were having such a good time...’ she whispered in a sultry voice before mercilessly kissing him again.  

  

*****  

 

‘I told you, you should have focused more on the screen,’ the trickster said with a smirk to her dance partner as she compared their scores.  

‘Maybe you should look a little less at the screen and keep an eye on your friend over there,’ Flash said and he looked towards the couple at the far corner of the garden.    

'Whom are you talking about?' Loki frowned, looking at the bunch of spectators. 'All I can see are your minions, Flash,’ he said with a disapproving look at Flash’s partying friends. 

‘Yeah, well, she’s not _my_ minion, believe me,’ Flash laughed. ‘Everyone’s hers, rather. Well, at least Pete is.’    

'Peter?’ the trickster asked as he finally followed the teen’s gaze towards the distant corner and his breath stopped as he saw Valerie and Peter sharing a passionate kiss.    

He felt his heart stopping for a second before it violently started up again, pumping raging fury through his body, but he kept up his calm appearance and smiled, his jaws clenched. ‘Good for them,’ he managed to utter.    

'You were doing great, Meya!' Ned said as he walked up to the dancers, impressed by the god's moves, 'Congrats on your victory,' he added with a smile.   

‘Thank you, Edward,’ the trickster said, trying his best to focus on the people in front of him rather than the ones far away.    

‘Edward?’ Flash laughed. ‘Did he tell you he's called Edward?’    

‘Shut it, Flash,’ the trickster hissed at the teen, who took a step back in surprise.    

'What’s up with you?' Ned asked, a little surprised by the god's sudden change of mood. He then gulped as he noticed the soft emerald eyes were now gleaming with anger like a deadly poison.    

'Nothing,' Loki stated, but Ned hardly heard him, for his attention was suddenly absorbed by his friend and Valerie in the corner. 'Is that...?' Ned started in surprise.    

'I know, right?' Flash laughed a little, 'Seems like dreams do come true, at least for Pete, that is.'    

'Yeah,' Ned confirmed with a smile, 'Good for him, huh? Finally being with the girl of his dreams?’    

'The girl of his dreams...?' Loki repeated, forgetting to keep the hurt from his voice, 'That mewling quim is the girl of his dreams?!'   

It struck him then: Peter has a thing for Brunettes. Loki suddenly heard Stark's words echoing through his mind, remembering Tony mentioning that while he escorted the teen towards the stairs on the night of prom. At that moment, all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Valerie’s hair, her eyes, the overall beauty of her appearance, it was exactly what Peter had described on his list for his ideal prom date. It all made sense now.     

‘So I was trying to look like...’ he whispered, almost breathlessly. 'Like her...?' His sorrowful expression then quickly turning into a cold and deadly glare again.     

‘Why would you want that? You look so hot, way better than Val if you’d ask me,’ Flash said, trying to casually wrap an arm around her shoulders, but a deadly green gaze stopped him from acting on that idea.    

‘You okay, Meya?’ Ned asked, a little more worried this time.   

‘Yes, Ned, I am just tired of spending time amongst such immature and pathetic creatures.’ He looked at Flash and then at the couple in the corner, hardly knowing to whom to turn in order to calm down, so eventually he settled his eyes on Ned again. ‘I will just go home, thank you.’    

Ned nodded, starting to understand the situation, but Flash looked in panic at the raven. ‘No, no, you can’t go! We'll never see each other again! You’re the whole reason that I invited these losers in the first place! I, I think you’re really great and maybe we could...’   

‘NOT ANOTHER WORD!’ Meya spoke firmly, silencing the teen and many of the partying guests in their surroundings. ’I am leaving. Now,’ Loki said as he turned around to leave.    

'But...' Flash unwisely tried as he grabbed the trickster’s hand. He froze completely in fear as the god turned around, rage darkening his face, bright green eyes poisoned with hurt pinning him down.     

'Do not dare to touch a god without his consent!’ Loki shouted as he retrieved his hand. ‘You just think you own the world, is it not?' he sneered in a dark voice, taking threatening steps towards the teen, who quickly moved backwards, 'You think you can just have whatever you want! Well, as you seem to demand of me, I will be honest with you: you are no more master of this realm than the ants beneath my feet!'     

'I-I'm sorry!' Flash nearly squealed as he fell backwards, hitting a wall of cold water as he fell into the swimming pool.     

'You are all horrible, repulsive, lying, manipulating, unfaithful creatures!' Loki added as his hands were clasped into tight fists, his Seiðr raging almost uncontrollably through his body.     

'Unfaithful...?' Flash asked in ignorance, leaning on the edge of the pool as he nearly felt like crying.     

'Well I am done playing your games!' the god continued, as he was deaf to the teen's words in his anger and hurt, 'Never again will I allow myself be used for your pleasure!'      

'Okay, okay! Calm down, I think he got the point!' Ned quickly intervened as he threw himself between his classmate and the enraged god. 'I really think you should go, now,' he tried as kindly though earnestly as possible, gulping nervously as he saw a soft green slowly emitting from the raven's clenched hands.    

Loki stared at the two boys for a second and, without a word, he turned around and left the scene.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, as promised, this chapter will contain 3 facts about a Marvel character. However, instead of doing 1 character with 3 facts, we will be doing three characters with 1 fact each. Please welcome, Ned, Liz and Flash:
> 
> Elizabeth Allen-Osborn (comics) / Liz Toomes (MCU):
> 
> Liz is a supporting character in both film and comic. There is not all that much to say about her MCU version, though the comic version might hold some secrets you did not know yet. She was a minor love interest of both Parker and Flash Thompson, however Liz eventually ends up marrying Harry Osborn. The couple had a son, Normie Osborn, but their family history turned tragic; Harry followed in his father's footsteps becoming the Green Goblin and got killed. Harry attempted to pass the legacy of the Green Goblin down to their son but failed due to the efforts of Spider-Man.
> 
>  
> 
> Edward (Ned) Leeds:
> 
> Again, there is not much to tell about the MCU Ned that we don’t already know, his comic version however is much more interesting! He was a field reporter for the Daily Bugle, where he met Betty Brant who he later comes to marry. He later gets brainwashed by the “The Winkler”, who makes Ned believe that he is the Hobgoblin, this making him a criminal and extremely violent and paranoid about his work and his wife. Eventually, the Winkler spreads rumors about Ned being the Hobgoblin, which ended up in Ned being murdered by another criminal organization… Jikes!
> 
>  
> 
> Eugene Flash Thompson:
> 
> Just like Ned and Liz, the MCU version doesn’t keep much surprises from us, so here are the facts about his comic version, which is way more interesting! After graduation, he joins the United States Army and is haunted by his combat experiences, leading to alcoholism. After losing both of his legs in the Iraq War, he was bound to the Venom Symbiote as Agent Venom, a superhero and the first to control the organism. He becomes an ally of spider-man, fighting together against the Green Goblin. He dies in Peter's arms and is honored by Peter and his friends at his funeral.
> 
>  
> 
> And that's it for today, please let us know your thoughts in a comment! We really, REALLY would like to know what you think!
> 
> See you next time!


	11. Hands off

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone and welcome back!
> 
> I will not keep you up any longer! Hope you will enjoy this chapter!
> 
> Steve: 'woow, wait up! I think there is one more thing you almost forgot to tell people here.'
> 
> Oh, yeah, sorry cap, almost forgot!
> 
> Tony: Don't worry, I'll take care of this and make sure he won't be a bother again. *takes Steve's hand and drags him of*
> 
> Steve: but there's
> 
> Tony: yes, we know, language! Thanks Captain Obvious, now move.
> 
> .... Yes, anyway, as Tony said, there will be language and name calling in this chapter so now you know!
> 
> Go ahead and read, and I truly hope you will enjoy!

****

 

As her warm lips pressed against his, Peter felt her soft hands slowly moving down from his neck towards his stomach as they stopped to rest on his hips, his wet clothes seeming non-existent as he felt the warmth of her fingers against his skin.     

'Are those abs I'm feeling?' Valerie languorously whispered close to Peter's ear as she pressed her body against his, a teasing smile curling her lips as she softly kissed the teen's neck, lowering her lips slowly to his collarbone.    

‘No, no, Val,’ Peter said as he gently pushed her away from him. ‘I can’t do this, I just told you...’    

‘And I told _you_ , Pete, to forget that girl. She doesn’t care,’ Valerie replied in a slightly annoyed voice as she tried to kiss him again, but this time Peter pushed her away more firmly.    

‘Stop it, Val!’    

'What the hell is your problem, Parker?' Valerie snapped and she glared at him as she crossed her arms, her oh so gentle and loving expression gone, just like that. 'Is this really all about that Norwegian import-date of yours? 'Cause you know she'll be leaving soon right? She won't stay with you, she'll just leave you and immediately turn to the next guy who crosses her path.' She smirked. ‘You should be thankful, Pete, I’m saving you a lot of heartbreak here.’    

‘Import-date…? What’s wrong with you, Val?’ Peter asked with furrowed brows, completely flabbergasted by the girl’s behavior, ‘Has no one ever said “no” to you? Is that it? ‘Cause we both know I’m not such a special guy, so you behaving like this can’t be just because of me. What’s your problem?’ Peter asked in complete disbelief.    

‘Oh my God, I can’t believe you! What has she done for you that I can’t, huh? You like a girl who can punch a guy to the ground or something? You like a woman who stands up for you, is that it? One who talks like she comes straight from the Middle Ages?! She's messed up in the head, Peter! Everything about her is just so weird! She's an attention seeking slut who will do anything to get into the spotlight as long as guys admire her! I mean, have you ever asked her how many boyfriends she must have had before you?! How many times she has already spread her legs?! Or are you just that much into sloppy seconds?!'    

‘What the fuck, Val!' Peter shouted as he suddenly felt his blood boil, 'I didn’t ask you how many boyfriends _you_ had, did I?! I'm not interested in that kind of shit! Why the hell should I care about that?!’   

'Because she's a slut, Peter! I’m sure she’s been with, oh I could probably guess how many guys, but you weren’t interested in that, were you? What is it that makes her so special, Pete? What does she do for you? Is she that much of a freak in the sheets, huh?!’    

‘What the-?!, Val, stop this! Stop trash talking about Meya like that!' Peter finally burst out as he felt his hands forming tight fists, trembling softly in anger, 'I care about her, alright?! Not you! Deal with it!’    

'Oh, please, Pete, you're not seriously gonna tell me you love her?!' Valerie growled in offence, 'Do you even have any idea what you are talking about?! I just told you, I. Love. you. She will leave you! And then you will never see her again! I could be ten, no, hundred times the girlfriend she is!’ she shouted as she crossed her arms, ‘You're being such an asshole right now, Parker!’    

‘Maybe if you'd stop acting so fucking crazy, I wouldn’t speak to you like this! But here we are! I can’t be with some girl who talks so low of others, who acts like a child if she doesn’t get what she wants! What’s there to love about a girl who only loves herself?!’    

'So?!’ Valerie shouted as she tried to calm down, placing her hands on the teen’s chest just one more time in a final attempt to win him over, ‘Dump that special snowflake of yours, Peter,' she whispered as her lips lingered closely to his, her hands now on his cheeks. ‘Please?’    

At this, Peter deeply inhaled in an attempt to hide his anger, ‘I’m trying to tell you something here, Val, so let me try again: leave me alone. I. Don’t. Like. You.’    

As Valerie's eyes opened wide with disbelief, she clenched her hands into fists. Her expression then turned to pure anger, 'Fuck. You. Parker!' And as she said this, she raised her hand, slapping the teen as hard as she could, before walking away.    

Peter sighed in relief, though he lifted his hand to feel his painful cheek. He then looked over to the dancefloor and noticed that Meya was nowhere to be seen, while Flash was being pulled out of the pool by a couple of his friends.     

‘Ned!’ Peter shouted, as he quickly walked towards his friend, ‘Where is she?’    

Ned quickly went over to his friend, a concerned look on his face, ‘He’s gone, Pete, I think he’s really, _really_ pissed.’    

‘About what?!’ Peter shouted as his anger still ran through his system, clearly startling his friend.   

'Well,' Ned said a little hesitantly, not really knowing how to bring this. He then saw Peter's cheek, which had started to turn red. 'Wooow, Pete, what happened to your-' he started, pointing at the reddening skin.    

‘Never mind that, Ned. What’s going on with Loki?’    

'Okay, so, uhm... I think you maybe, might have a little crisis here,' Ned started carefully, 'Loki, he, uhm, he saw you making out with Val and, well... Let's just say he really didn't seem to appreciate that.'    

‘Wha-?! But she,’ Peter stammered in disbelief, ‘ _she_ took the initiative, Ned! I was trying to tell her to leave me alone, but she wouldn’t listen, well, not until just now,’ Peter said, pointing to his cheek.    

'Why would you tell her that?' Ned asked in complete surprise, 'You love her, don't you?'    

‘No, I don’t love her! Can’t people get it already?! She is a terrible person, Ned! Personality means something to me and she, well, I wouldn’t say she has none, but it isn’t pretty.’    

'Oh... okay, well... be that as it may, from our side over here, it really looked like you were enjoying it, Pete, so... I mean, I told him to go home, because of that crazy power thing he has, it looked like he was about to lose control and I swear, Peter, if words could kill, Flash would be in a morgue right now.'    

‘Oh shit,’ Peter said desperately. ‘Okay, Ned, I have to go after him, right now. Will you be alright here?’    

‘Seriously?’ Ned looked around and Peter expected some disappointed reply, but instead Ned chuckled, ‘You didn’t think I wanted to stay at this lame party, did you? Come on, let’s go.’  

  

*****

  

'Sheesh, that guy walks fast,' Ned said as he walked down the deserted streets with his friend, 'I can't see him anywhere, or her, I don't know, I'll be looking for both, just in case.'    

‘I think he just went back to the Stark Tower,’ Peter said, nonetheless desperately looking around him.  

'I sure hope so,' Ned said a little worriedly, he then looked at his friend in concern, ‘Pete, you need any help? I mean, if you want me to go along, I don’t mind.’     

‘That’s alright, Ned. I made this mess, I have to fix it.’    

'Well, technically Valerie started this mess, but I don’t think she will ever apologize,’ Ned sighed and looked at his friend, ‘... Just be careful, okay? I know you trust him and all but, really, maybe it's not such a good idea to talk with him alone, you know what I'm saying?' Ned said, trying not to sound too worried.    

‘Was he really that pissed...?' Peter sighed, 'I don’t think there is much else that I can do, really.’   

'Well, you could always ask Mister Stark to help you? I mean, you could ask him to be in the same room, just in case Loki... just in case anything goes wrong.'    

'Yeah, no, I really don't think that would be a good idea,' Peter said and he looked at his friend with a careful smile, ‘I have to make this right, Ned. I have to.’    

‘Good luck, then, man,’ Ned said as he patted his friend on the shoulder. ‘If anyone can do it, it’s you, Pete.’    

‘Thanks,’ Peter said with a smile. ‘You’re such a good friend, Ned, I-’    

‘Save all that for him. You’ll need it,’ Ned laughed. ‘See you, Pete.’    

  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for this chapter! So sorry that it's so short. Next one will be up in two days again!
> 
> And now, here are the facts about a special guest. She might not be a super hero, but even without any form of power, she will make sure to get everything she wants. (until now, that is.) please welcome, or not, Valerie!
> 
> Valerie Bingley may come across as a self-centered, perhaps heartless individual, but there is, or used to be, a soft and sentimental side to her. It happens that she loves animals. As a kid, she had 2 dogs, a cat, a turtle, 5 hamsters, 2 guinea pigs, 5 rabbits and 2 ponies. Thing went wrong, however, on the day of her 10th birthday, when her parents gave her a horse. A part of her sweetness died that very day... Well, she had specifically asked for a unicorn, she is right when she states that there's a difference. Yep, that's where things might have gone wrong. Or earlier, probably earlier.
> 
> While her parents were away on a cruise, twelve-year-old Valerie spent a total of two weeks at home, watching romcoms with her nanny, becoming determined to find the love of her life (or any attention at all) in high school, so she would receive her own fairy tale happily ever after as soon as possible.
> 
> That's it for today guys, see you again in two days!  
> Please let us know what you think in the comments below. :3


	12. Who's to blame?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone and welcome to another chapter!
> 
> For this chapter, we go slightly, just slightly back in time.   
> Hope you will come to like it anyway!
> 
> Please enjoy!

 

‘I’m sure that girl was Loki. I mean, “hi, sir, I’m Daisy,” my ass!’ Tony said agitatedly as he let himself fall on the white sofa.    

‘Hmm? What?’ Steve said as he looked up from his magazine, a slight smile on his face as he heard his friend imitating a girl’s voice.    

‘Peter went to that pool party with this girl, Thor and I met her in the hallway. Now, we both know Thor wouldn’t recognize his brother in disguise if his life depended on it, but I could see right through it. That girl was not “Daisy,” but Loki. I tell you, Cap, I don’t like it that they keep secrets from us. I’m used to it from Loki, but, Peter...’    

'Maybe,' Steve said after a brief moment of silence, 'we should ask ourselves _why_ Loki and Peter are lying to us in the first place. I mean, Peter doesn't really seem like someone who would "just" lie...'    

'I know, right?' Tony agreed, relieved to know the Captain found this suspicious as well, 'It has to be Loki, I just feel it.'    

'No, Tony, that's not what I'm trying to say,' Steve quickly corrected himself, 'All I'm saying is that there must be a reason for Peter to lie to us, for all we know, _he_ could be the one dragging Loki into this, well, whatever it is.'    

'And why would he ever do that?' Tony asked a little offended.    

Steve stared at the ceiling as he thought this through, then something hit him. 'Well, what happened the last time he and Loki were, well, close with each other? You know, like the day after prom?'    

'They ended up screaming at each other once they woke up?'    

'Yes, that too,' Steve chuckled a little, 'And how did we react to that?'    

'Well, by,' Tony started in confidence, but he then felt a little more defeated as he now realized where his friend was going with this, 'By screaming at them...’    

‘You see what I mean?’    

'Yeah, yeah, I know,' the playboy sighed, tousling his hair a little in frustration, 'It's just, I really think Loki,' he continued, but a sharp look of his friend made him stop.     

'Tony, do you really have so little trust in Loki?’ the blond asked as he squinted his brilliant blue eyes, ‘Or are you just that partial to Peter?'    

'No, it's just that... well...' Tony then sighed and stood up from the couch, crossing his arms, 'Fine! Yes, I do have trouble trusting the guy! Can you really blame me?' he said in frustration, 'He almost destroyed a major city, Steve. He tried to take over our freaking planet. Thor told me he even tried to destroy his birth planet...! Realm, whatever it is.'    

'I know, but Thor also said that it was probably because he was hurt and-'    

'Yeah, hurt, Rogers, he found out he was adopted and that hurts, I get that, but that doesn't give him any right to destroy his entire home planet or to take over ours!'    

'… I know, Tony,' Steve admitted as he had nothing to counter the argument and he looked down in defeat.     

Watching the captain lowering his head, Tony calmed down a little and he let himself fall back on the couch next to the blond. 'I really, really tried, Steve,' he sighed, 'but there's just something about him,' he said as he sincerely tried to understand the god's decisions, 'I mean, trying to erase an entire race... and rule over another... just because you found out you're adopted... Either something else happened to him, something he just doesn't want to tell us, or he has serious mental health issues.' Tony then noticed Steve's sharp eyes glaring at him, finding a hint of shock and disbelieve in the captain’s expression for saying this. ‘Rogers, I'm not saying that as a joke, I mean it. I am sincerely concerned for him,' he quickly added as he looked the captain straight in his blue eyes. 'Plus,' he continued, 'he already had all those weird nicknames before all of this, like, god of lies and mischief, and Liesmith and, what was the other again... Oh yeah, Silver Tongue, whatever that may be. And, imagining him being with Pete...' Tony shook his head, 'It's not that I don't want Peter to be happy, really, I don't even care if he would date a girl or a guy, but, what if he would do something to offend Loki? Something that might _hurt_ him? What if Loki reacts so crazy again?' Tony then sighed, 'I just can't, Rogers, I mean, Peter's _my_ responsibility and if anything would ever happen to that kid, I-'    

'Our responsibility, Tony,' Steve corrected his friend with a gentle smile. 'We're in on this together, remember?' he reminded the playboy in a kind and soft voice.     

Tony stared at the blond for a second, only then did he let out a breath he did not realize he was holding and he relaxed, letting his body slump into the white leather couch. 'Yeah,' he said with a smile, 'Sorry,' he added, as he raised his hand to grasp that of the Captain but, in the end, quickly decided otherwise, which led to a very awkward pat on Steve's shoulder and arm.    

'It's okay,' Steve chuckled a little awkwardly. 'Really Tony, I get It. Maybe we could try to have a chat with Loki, ask him why he did what he did.'    

'Yeah,' Tony said in a soft voice, letting his head rest on the back cushions of the couch, 'Maybe we should. Though I doubt that he will really give us an honest answer…'   

'Well, it’s worth a shot,’ Steve said as he sighted, ‘I wonder if all parents, I mean, guardians... tutors, have to go through this,' the blond wondered out loud. 'Anyway, you think you can handle a conversation with Loki without losing your temper?' he smirked a little.   

At that moment, the front door flung open and the trickster came barging into the room, heading straight for the stairs.    

‘I’ll give it a try,’ Tony whispered to Steve. ‘Hey, Lokes!’    

‘Leave me alone, Stark!’ Loki shouted as he quickly mounted the stairs.    

‘…Yep,’ Tony said a little taken aback, his eyes following the god before turning back to the captain. ‘That’s a reasonable reaction...’     

‘Well, at least you tried. Maybe more luck some other time?’ Steve said with a sympathetic smile.    

‘Yeah, maybe.’  

  

*****

  

As quiet as he could, Peter sneaked into the house, making sure no one heard or saw him. He closed the door behind him without a sound and continued to tiptoe down the hallway, softly, carefully.  

'Welcome home, Peter,' Friday's voice rang loud and clear through the hallway.    

‘Shhh, Friday!’ he whispered. ‘I’m trying to-’    

‘Hey, Pete!’ Tony’s voice sounded from the living room.    

‘Hey!’ Peter said as he tried to walk by Tony and Steve without any conversation what so ever.    

‘You’re home early,’ Steve noticed in surprise. ‘How was the party?’     

‘It, it wasn’t what I hoped it would be. A bit lame, you know,’ Peter answered hastily though he tried to sound as casual as possible.    

'Ah, that's a shame,' Tony smiled at him, 'You know what, you should throw a party here, sometime, I'll make sure everyone's out. We'll show them what a real party is like, okay?'     

‘Yeah, sure,’ Peter said, in the meantime looking upstairs.   

‘Everything alright, Peter?’ Steve asked, a hint of worry clouding his face.    

‘Yeah, yeah, just a little tired, that’s all,’ Peter said with a quick smile, ‘I’ll just go to bed early.’    

‘It’s only ten o’clock...’ Tony remarked a bit suspiciously. ‘But if that’s what you want, I guess I’ll just say good night.’    

'Good night, Peter,' Steve smiled, raising his hand to high-five the teen which got completely unnoticed.   

'Yeah, sure,' Peter responded absentmindedly, 'Well, I'm going to bed, see you!'     

'Wow, wow, wow, wait up,' Tony frowned and walked towards the teen, gently holding on to Peter’s wrist, 'What happened to you? Got into a fight?' he asked as he looked at the teen's bright red cheek. Tony and Steve both stared towards the stairs for a second as they remembered the enraged god going to his room hardly a minute ago. They then looked at each other in worry and back at Peter again, waiting for an explanation.    

‘No, I’m, I’m fine,’ Peter tried to smile though he still looked at the stairs. ‘I just really want to go to my room now, so...’  

‘Not so fast, Peter,’ Tony said as he kept holding on to the teen’s wrist, a little firmer this time, ‘What happened? Did Loki-’  

‘What?!’ Peter asked in astonishment, ‘You think Lokes would... No! No, if you really need to know, I got into an argument with this crazy girl who likes me, but I don’t like her and I don’t really think she cares that much altogether, so I told her to stop acting so freaking crazy and then she slapped me. There, happy?’  

‘Uh,’ was the playboy’s only answer to that after he fell silent for a moment, ‘O-okay, so you uhm, you want an icepack or something?’   

‘No, Mr. Stark, I just really want to go upstairs and explain to Loki that this girl was kissing _me_ , not the other way around.’  

‘Why would you have to explain that to Loki?’ Steve asked in confusion as he tried to understand the situation.  

‘I, I don’t know...’ Peter said and then he crossed his arms, ‘Why am I explaining this to you two?’  

‘Well, of course, you don’t have to Peter, and we are sorry if we are interfering with your private matters, however, we are your mentors, and hopefully, also your friends, so, we just want what’s best for you, okay?’ Steve tried as he genuinely smiled.  

‘I get that, thanks,’ Peter sighed and he passed them a quick yet melancholic smile, ‘Can I please explain this later?’  

‘Sure, kid,’ Tony said as he let go of Peter’s wrist. ‘We’ll talk later.’  

‘Thanks,’ Peter smiled and he raced up the stairs. As he noticed there was no one else upstairs, he sprinted down the hallway towards the god's room, coming to an abrupt stop in front of the trickster’s door. He gulped and gently knocked.    

‘Lokes?’ he almost whispered, afraid to speak up.    

‘Go away, Peter,’ the trickster replied. ‘I have locked the door, you are not getting in.’    

‘Please...’ Peter sighed, ‘can’t you let me in?’    

‘No, go away,’ the voice reacted coldly, almost without any form of emotion.    

‘...I won’t,’ Peter said, sitting down next to the door. ‘I’ll sit here all night if I have to.’    

'Well, I hope you are comfortable, because you will.'    

At that moment, Thor walked by, talking to Quill. They looked up in surprise as they saw the teen sitting down next to the door.    

‘What are you doing?’ Thor asked confused, knowing the teen was sitting in front of his brother’s room.    

‘What? Can’t a guy chill on the floor in his own house?’ Peter asked casually as he crossed his arms.    

'Uh, yeah, sure,' Quill replied with a smile, 'Hey, you wanna tag along? I just heard Thor has never seen Footlose, can you believe that? So, knowing he and Loki are missing such a significant part of their Earthly education, I thought we should watch it together.’   

'Apparently, our lives will become much more meaningful if we watch this movie, according to our friend Quill, that is,' Thor smiled, raising his hand as he wanted to knock on Loki's door.   

‘Loki can’t make it!’ Peter said quickly, rising to his feet, ‘we uhm, we’re going for a walk outside.’ 

'Walks can wait,' Quill said enthusiastically and he knocked on the raven's door, 'Hey! Trickster! Want to-'    

'If the three of you do not leave this instance, I will turn you into miserably, puny, cockroaches!' Loki shouted before Starlord could finish his sentence.    

'… Well that’s just rude,' Quill said, crossing his arms, 'Fine, sorry for trying to make you a part of this awesome experience,' he shrugged. 'Let's go, pirate angel, looks like your brother would rather stay locked in his room,' he said, tapping Thor's shoulder.   

Thor hesitated for a moment and then looked at Peter in suspicion, 'Is something the matter betw-'    

'For Norns sake, Thor! Leave!' the three heard the raven hiss from the other side of the door.     

'… Maybe you should ask him for a walk some other time, Man of Spiders,' Thor said in a softer voice this time, making sure Loki would not hear him, 'When my brother gets in a foul mood like this, well... he tends to speak of things he might regret,' Thor gave him a nod, 'Enjoy your chilling, Peter. You may join us anytime if you wish to watch the movie.'     

‘Thanks,’ Peter smiled and Thor patted him on the shoulder before he followed Starlord downstairs.    

Peter sat back down in front of the door again and sighed.     

‘Peter, I am very close to seriously injuring you, so, for your own sake, just leave me be,’ the trickster said softly, apparently sitting not too far from the door himself.    

'I am not leaving...' Peter said determinedly, 'I just want to talk, Lokes.'    

'Well I have nothing to say to you,' the raven hissed though Peter could clearly hear the hurt in his voice, 'I should never have consented to your witless pleading. I knew it was a terrible idea, yet you managed to persuade me.'   

‘Loki...' Peter sighed in guilt as he let his head rest against the wall, 'I just want to explain myself. Will you please, please let me?’    

After a long silence, he heard a defeated sigh from beyond the door. 'Speak.’   

‘Alright, then,’ Peter said as he softly nodded, ‘Where should I start...’ he wondered but he got no reply. He swallowed, bravely trying to start his plead, 'so-’     

‘I know she is the girl of your dreams, Peter,’ Loki interrupted the teen, his voice a little calmer now as most of his anger was starting to fade.    

‘What?’ Peter asked in confusion.    

'They were quite clear about that, Flash and Ned,' Loki said bitterly. ‘Do not take me for a fool, Peter, I know your prom list described her. I grant it to you, she has beauty, but I never thought you would be such a poor judge of character. Either way, I hope you will be happy, although I cannot wish her the same,’ the trickster spoke calmly, though his own words seemed to hurt himself more than ever.   

‘You think I want Val to be my girlfriend?’ Peter asked in disbelieve, but he remembered how he had thought about the girl for days in a row before the prom, wondering what it must be like to dance with her, or to even speak with her, for that matter. He sighed and shook his head, only now realising how he unintentionally had described Valerie as his ideal woman to Tony. ‘No, I know her for the person she really is, I do now.’    

‘And you needed to kiss her to figure that out?’ a sarcastic voice remarked from the other side of the door.    

‘I know this sounds bad, but she kissed _me,’_ Peter tried.    

‘You are right, that is a terrible excuse.’    

‘But it is true, Lokes. I tried to tell her that I did not want to be with her, that it would be unfair to... Anyway, she slapped me when I finally told her that. If you open the door, you can verify it. I’m telling the truth.’    

After a seemingly endless silence, Peter heard a sigh coming from the other side, after which the door was unlocked and Loki looked at him. ‘Oh, she really got you there,’ he said with a smirk he could not hide as he saw Peter’s cheek. ‘Well-aimed, too. Still, I do not think I believe you, Peter. For all I know, she slapped you because _you_ kissed _her_.’    

'No, no, Lokes, really,' Peter tried, not really knowing what more he could say, 'Val is an awful person, really, I get that now, and that kiss meant nothing to me! I, I mean, it was confusing but if anything, it woke me up and showed me that this is not what I wanted at all. I mean, it was so much different from the time we,' Peter said but then mumbled, 'You know...'    

The trickster sighed as he looked at the teen, ‘What _do_ you want, Peter?’ he asked, a hint of confusion in his voice, ‘Because I cannot tell.’    

‘That makes two of us,’ Peter said with a desperate chuckle. ‘I mean, does anyone ever know? I don’t know...’ He looked the god in the eyes and gulped. ‘What, what do you want?’    

Loki stared at the teen for a moment. He opened his mouth to speak, but as he looked Peter in the eye, he quickly closed his mouth again. Eventually, he let out a sigh and shook his head. ‘I do not know,’ he said, a little defeated, followed by a careful smile, ‘Maybe there is truth in what you said, that no one ever knows.’    

Peter nodded and they looked around them, as long as they did not have to look into each other’s eyes.     

'Might I ask you one more thing, Peter?' Loki asked, a little hesitantly.    

'Yeah, sure, anything!' Peter said as he immediately straightened his back, like a soldier reacting to his sergeant's commands.    

'All those moments we, I mean, I, spent as Meya, on the roof, the slow dancing, when we were in the swimming pool...' the trickster remained silent for moment, searching for the right words to best state his question, 'Did that all feel for you like you were dating Valerie? I mean, am I a mere replacement for her...?'    

‘No, no, not at all, you couldn’t be more different from her!’ Peter quickly stated, but as the trickster looked at him in a questioning manner, he stammered ‘No, I’m just glad it was you and not her.’   

Loki nodded, 'Though it was Meya, rather than me,' he said with a careful smile. 'I am just relieved to hear you do not see me as second best, Peter.'    

‘I would never...’ Peter started, but he stopped midway his sentence as the trickster smiled at him.    

‘It is quite alright,’ Loki said, straightening his back and smiling. ‘I will just go back to my reading. Is there anything else you wanted to say?’  

‘... You want to watch some Footloose?’ Peter asked with a smirk.    

‘Oh, please, anything but that,’ Loki laughed. ‘But I will take that walk now, I mean, if you were serious about that. I know you were just trying to get rid of my brother and the Lord of Stars, but still...’    

'I would love to!' Peter said, a little too enthusiastically as all his nerves finally seemed to settle down a little. 'I mean, sure,' he added a bit more calmly with a smile.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I 
> 
> AM
> 
> IRON MAN
> 
> With these three simple words, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was created. Simple, yet incredibly effective!   
> Now, we would like to give you three facts about the man himself, that you hopefully didn't know.  
> Please welcome, our Genius, our billionaire, our playboy, our one and only philanthropist, Tony Stark!
> 
> 1\. Tony Stark is adopted!  
> Yes, you heard right. While Tony Stark’s childhood might not be quite as tragic as a hero like Batman’s, it still had a fair bit of drama. You see, Stark’s biological parents were both agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and a huge argument between the two of them led to his father’s death– at the hands of his mother. Crazy, right? After killing her partner and the father of her child, Stark’s biological mother, Amanda, asked S.H.I.E.L.D. for their help taking care of the baby– apparently agent-dom and single motherhood don’t quite mix. The organization responded by taking Tony to an orphanage in Bulgaria, where industrialist Howard Stark found him and brought him home to his wife Maria. 
> 
>  
> 
> 2\. Tony Stark was supposed to turn to alcoholism
> 
> Now, we all know Tony loves himself a drink, even so as to offer it to his enemies (should’ve taken that drink, Loki!) In the late 1970s, however, the Iron Man comics had a big storyline wherein Stark turned to alcohol in order to deal with all the stress that his new life of fighting crime created. Marvel had initially wanted to incorporate that facet of Stark’s character in the movie– the problem was, Disney shut the idea down because of complaints from mothers that alcoholism was being depicted in a movie somewhat aimed at children.
> 
>  
> 
> 3\. He wasn’t designed to be loved.
> 
> Creating characters is tough– you want them to be complex, ambitious yet likeable, heroic yet troubled by many issues that regular mortals face. Even villains are often made somewhat sympathetic to muddy the waters even more. However, when it came to creating Tony Stark, Stan Lee wasn’t too worried about creating a hero that the readers would love. In fact, he actually specifically created Tony as a character that readers were likely going to hate. He made his first appearance in the comic book world as an arms dealer who was profiting off the war in Vietnam– at a time in history when readers’ opposition to the Vietnam war was growing. So, it was kind of a tough sell, but Lee wanted to challenge himself to get the liberal readers to fall in love with the type of character that stood for everything they hated. It worked. Stark’s character endured over the years and now people absolutely love him.
> 
>  
> 
> Well, Tony doesn't trust Loki all that much, and aren't there some... "suspicious" vibes coming from him towards Steve?? What's that all about, huh? Well at least things are back to the way they were between Peter and Loki. Let's see how this continues in two days! Thank you all for spending your precious time on this chapter! See ya!


	13. A coffee special

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone and welcome back to another chapter!
> 
> We truly hope you will like this one, so please enjoy!

‘Where are you two off to?' Steve asked in surprise as Peter and Loki walked to the backdoor.     

‘Oh, we’re going for a walk,’ Peter said happily, Loki merely following him with a placid smile.     

‘I thought you were tired?’ Tony remarked, squinting his eyes slightly, but Peter hardly noticed the suspicion.    

‘Yeah, but I feel better now. See you later!’    

'Yeah, uhm, sure,' Steve smiled, 'See you guys,' he waved as the two walked through the door. ‘What’s going on with them?’ he then asked Tony, who shrugged, but looked a lot less worried already.   

‘I don’t know, but I’m just happy they're not so secretive anymore,’ Tony said with a smile, leaning back against the couch.    

'I guess so,' Steve smiled as he let himself fall on the couch next to Tony and he closed his eyes, 'Being a tutor is more work and responsibility than I thought it would be.’  

‘Oh, it gets even better, you’ll see,’ Tony smirked. ‘Which makes me wonder, what was your relationship to your parents like, Rogers? You seem like the kind of kid who wouldn’t cause any trouble. Not much, anyway.’    

At this, Steve couldn’t help but laugh, 'Yeah, you might be wrong there, Tony. I was in fights, constantly. It drove my poor mother mad, sometimes.' He smiled a little. ‘I could even point out all the alleys I got beaten up in.’    

‘Seriously? And I thought I was bad,’ Tony laughed.    

‘What can say, I hate bullies,’ the blond shrugged as he looked at his friend, ‘How about you? What did you do to drive your parents mad?’   

‘About anything they did not want me to and then some, you know, my education came second or third or fourth place, I forgot the ranking.’    

'Why does that not surprise me?' Steve asked with a raised brow.    

‘Maybe you just know me too well, Rogers, I don’t know,’ Tony laughed, looking around. ‘Where is everyone, by the way? It’s so quiet, I can hear my own thoughts, really scary.’    

'Well, we're here, Peter and Loki are out, Clint's gone back to his family for a few days, T'Challa's back at Wakanda, Bucky's out for a run, and Vision, Wanda, Sam and Rhodes are on missions,' Steve said as he looked at his friend's slightly questioning expression. 'The others are watching this movie, I think.’    

Tony stared a second longer and then couldn't help but laugh, 'You really are keeping a close eye on us, aren’t you, Cap?'     

'It’s just because I'm at S.H.I.E.L.D. so much, I basically know everyone's agendas by now,' Steve smiled a little guiltily.     

'And they say _I'm_ a workaholic,' Tony smirked.    

‘Well, Quill was very enthusiastic about watching this film, I couldn’t help but overhear _that_.’ 

‘Of course, the film’s Quill’s idea,’ the playboy chuckled, ‘He seems to appreciate all kinds of things here so much, like a movie or a CD or something. Maybe you need to be a space traveller for that.’    

'Well, in Quill's defense, some of these things are pretty new for me as well, and I haven’t even left Earth!’    

‘No, technically you didn’t. You kinda, I don’t know, zoned out or something? What should we call it?’     

'… A good night's sleep?' Steve chuckled a little, 'Still, I can’t believe the world's changed so much.'    

‘Yeah, it’s crazy...’ Tony sighed.    

Steve looked at the playboy and snorted softly, 'Well, at least you know how the coffee machine works. I tried to grab a coffee yesterday with Buck. We ended up drinking tea instead.'    

Tony raised a questioning brow, combined with a smirk and looked at his friend. ‘Don’t you worry Cap, I’ll be here whenever you need coffee, except when I’m not here, which can be pretty often though. Why didn’t you just ask Friday? She knows everything about this place.’    

‘'Cause I'm still getting used to the fact that if I ask a question at random someone will actually reply even though there's no one in the room,' Steve chuckled a bit awkwardly.   

‘Oh, yeah, I get that,’ Tony laughed. ‘Whenever someone walked into my workshop and I was talking to myself, I would tell them I was talking to Friday or J.A.R.V.I.S. Works every time. Now it’s often Friday I talk to actually.’    

'Isn't that a little... lonely?' Steve asked, then quickly looking up, 'No offence Friday!'    

'None taken, Mister Rogers,' the artificial voice rang through the room.    

‘I’m not lonely, talking to myself or to Friday is just a sign of my absolute genius. Who else is gonna listen to me rattling on about my projects?’ Tony asked with a smirk. ‘I mean, no one would ever dare to bring me coffee again when I’m working on my tech and I ramble on and on and on about my suits.’   

'Well, as soon as I know how that machine works, I'll make sure to bring you some coffee,' Steve smiled, 'I don't mind listening to your rambling, Tony, I don't get it, not in the slightest, but I don’t mind.'     

‘Thanks, Cap, appreciate it,’ Tony said with a smile, but he quickly averted his eyes as the Captain looked at him with a similar smile, those warm, ocean-blue eyes kindly staring back at him. ‘I mean, I will, if the coffee is any good. Otherwise I will tell Friday to instruct you better,’ he continued as nonchalantly as he could.   

A silence followed in which Steve relaxed a little, letting his head rest on the back cushion of the white leather couch and he closed his eyes, his shoulder lingering close to Tony's.     

Tony stared at the half-asleep blond at his side, only noticing he did so when about five minutes had come to pass. He then shook his head and spoke up, ‘So,’ he said, a little louder than he had intended, ‘When’s your next mission?’ at which Steve gasped before he started to laugh.    

‘God! Tony, you startled me,’ Steve said through his laughs. ‘I almost forgot you were there for a sec, I think I was really starting to doze off there,’ he added as he looked at the clock.   

'Is my voice really that frightening?' Tony said as his heart started to calm down a little, being startled by the Captain's sudden burst of laughter, 'And for Heaven’s sake, Steve, watch your language.'   

Steve glared at Tony for a second, but couldn’t suppress his smile, 'I'm expected at S.H.I.E.L.D. first thing in the morning. Have to be there at six, so it'll be an early rise, I guess.' He smiled, resting his head on the cushion again.    

‘Friday?’ Tony shouted, startling Steve again. ‘Could you make sure there’s a cup of coffee ready by then?’   

‘Of course, Mr. Stark,’ the artificial voice responded.    

‘Great,’ Tony smiled and he turned to Steve as he stood up, ‘You know what? I’ll go fetch you a mug right away. Be right back.’    

Steve's eyes followed the philanthropist as he walked towards the kitchen, 'You're being really kind to me, Tony. I have to say…' Steve started, followed by a second of silence in consideration before he opened his mouth again, 'I wasn’t really sure we could become such good friends again after all that’s happened, you know, with the Sokovia Accords and Bucky and all...’     

‘Yeah, well,’ Tony said as he stood on his toes to get a mug from a top cabinet, ‘We’ve been through this. It's in the past and we’re in the now.’ He looked over at the Captain and smiled. ‘Although you’re technically from the past, you’re in the now. Deal with it, Rogers.’    

‘Aren’t we all technically from the past?’ Steve asked with a chuckle, putting on a deep-thinking face.   

‘Oh, stop, it’s too late for these kinds of conversations.’     

'Sorry, sorry,' Steve chuckled as he jumped up from the couch and walked towards his friend who was about to put the cup on the grid of the machine. He then stood close behind Tony, watching his hands in concentration.   

'What?' Tony asked a little taken aback as he tried to focus on preparing the machine.    

'Come on, show me, how does this thing work?' Steve said as he carefully studied the device, not noticing how close he stood to his friend.   

‘…Alright,’ Tony said a bit awkwardly and he cleared his throat. ‘It’s quite simple, really. You just put the mug here.’    

‘Yes?’    

‘And then you tap on the touchscreen over here. You can choose whatever kind of coffee you like, of course. What would you like?’    

‘I, I don’t know, coffee, just coffee will do.’    

Tony turned around, noticing how close Steve’s face and body were to his, but he decided not to say anything as he smirked. ‘Let’s make that a Latte Macchiato, shall we? It has a little more flair than “just coffee”.’    

‘Yeah, sure, if you think I’ll like it,’ Steve said with a smile and he looked at the machine again, while Tony stared at his friend just a little longer before returning to the device.   

‘So, we press here, “Latte Macchiato,” and then the green button over here and tah-dah!’ he shouted as a fresh Latte Macchiato was prepared in front of them. ‘There you go.’  

‘Thanks,’ Steve said, taking a step back after Tony handed over the cup. ‘Aren’t you having any?’    

‘Uh, well, yeah why not,’ Tony walked over to the cabinet again to take out another mug, but since most of the mugs had been used by his guests, it was up to him to get the mug all the way in the back. ‘Damn it,’ he grumbled, almost able to grab on to the mug, but just not yet.    

‘Let me get that,’ the soldier offered as he handed his coffee over to Tony as he stretched out to get the cup, in the process brushing Tony’s shoulder with his chest. ‘There you go,’ Steve said with a smile, trying to hand over the cup to the playboy, but it seemed as if his friend had suddenly become frozen solid. ‘Tony, you okay?’ Steve asked, a little worried.    

Tony snapped out of his trance, ‘Yeah, sure, thanks, I’ll go make myself some coffee,’ and he tried to take the empty cup and exchange it for the full one, but Steve wouldn’t let go of it as his face showed a smile. ‘What...’ Tony asked surprised and a bit suspicious.    

‘I’m going to make _you_ some coffee. What kind of coffee would you like?’ he asked as he quickly walked over to the machine.    

‘Uh, I’ll have the same as you, I suppose,’ Tony said, a bit taken aback by Steve’s sudden enthusiasm.     

‘Right! The Latte... Latte Macho, Latte Macioto, that one, the same one I have,’ Steve chuckled as he stumbled over the words.  

‘Yes, that one,’ Tony chuckled.    

‘Alright!’ Steve said as he tapped on the touchscreen. ‘And then the green button,’ he mumbled in concentration as he did what he said, causing coffee to flow into the cup. ‘Yes!’    

‘See? It’s not that hard,’ Tony said with a smile as they exchanged their coffee cups.    

‘Yeah, I guess you’re right. Thanks for showing me how the machine works, though.’    

‘No problem, Cap.’  

  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for this chapter.
> 
> Now, to welcome our Avenger of this chapter, please put your hands together for the star spangled man with a plan, the captain of America, the first Avenger,  
> Here are three facts we hope you did not know yet about Steve Rogers!
> 
> 1\. According to his medical report, pre-serum Steve Rogers had a litany of health problems including, but not limited to: asthma, scarlet fever, rheumatic fever, epilepsy, sinusitis, chronic or frequent colds, high blood pressure, heart palpitations, fatigue, heart trouble, nervousness, prior contact with a tuberculosis patient, family history of diabetes, cancer, and stroke.
> 
> 2\. He has to have Jarvis soundproof his door at night, cause he still gets wake-up-screaming nightmares. And he doesn't want any of his teammates to worry.
> 
> 3\. Steve Rogers was born July 4, 1920, to poor Irish immigrant parents, Sarah and Joseph Rogers. Rogers grew up a frail youth during the Great Depression in America. Little else is known about Rogers' early life other than the fact that a strong sense of duty, honor, and humility was instilled in him; perhaps due to his Irish Catholic upbringing. Rogers' father died when he was a child and his mother died from pneumonia later, when he was in his late teens.
> 
> Also, I can't help but remark that despite being labeled “The First Avenger,” Captain America was not the first avenger in the comic series. That honor goes to Ant-Man, Wasp, Hulk, Iron Man, and Thor. Captain America joined the Avengers only after Hulk left the team... So there you go!
> 
> Really hope you liked this chapter!  
> Please let us know in the comments below.


	14. Somewhere Over the Rainbow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone,
> 
> So first of all, sorry for the late update XD had some weird work shifts so it took me a while to find time to post again. 
> 
> Second! Omg! thank you all so much for your AWESOME comments! At first, we weren't really sure if the chapter would be liked but DAMN! that was just awesome! We are so happy you liked the Steve-Tony part because there will be so much more awesomeness and fluff coming up between the two! Two couples to follow, two love stories in one fic! Let's see how this turns out!
> 
> PS. One last thing... We had to guess Loki and Thor's ages in this chapter.... WE HAD NO IDEA! So for all of you out there who do know, PLEASE leave a comment, and we will be very happy to change this in the fic. So sorry if it isn't correct, we really did our best. Hope you still enjoy!

 

'If I had not been raised in the palace of Asgard, I would think these gardens are ridiculously big for one house,' Loki said as he and Peter strolled through the gardens of Stark Tower. 'Of course, these grounds are used for training as well, I suppose? And they are used by all the inhabitants of the Tower?'    

'Yeah, everyone can come here to train, or just to walk around.' Peter smiled. 'Though, now that I come to think of it, it's kinda dangerous, you know, one moment you're strolling around, enjoying the nice weather, next thing you know you've got a bullet in your leg or, an arrow in the knee or, a shield tossed at your head, or you get shot into the sky by some jetpack gone bananas.'     

'Still,' Loki chuckled. 'They are of more use than the ones in Asgard. I never quite understood why we needed all that space for ourselves. Of course, we had guests and staff and everything, but the gardens were just, there, without purpose.' the trickster said and he let out a soft sigh, 'I guess they were just merely for show, just as about everything else in the palace. All was well as long as everything looked perfect from the outside.'     

'Must be really cool though!' Peter said enthusiastically, 'Running through those enormous hallways in this magical palace, knights with awesome weapons, everyone wearing these huge capes!'     

'Well, yes, it depends on your definition of "cool," but having miles of garden and entire halls to yourself can be considered enjoyable enough.' As he saw Peter's eyes sparkle, he quickly added, 'But don't make yourself any illusions! Everyone was constantly supervised and if you did as much as one thing wrong you would be sure someone would come over to tell you.'    

'Hmm,’ Peter said as he thought this over, ‘So, like surveillance cameras?'     

'Yes, something like that, only difference is that these ones would speak to you and make sure you would remember you did something wrong instead of quietly spying on you.’  

'Well, Thor said that he really enjoyed having people around constantly, he didn't seem to mind the, uhm, spying.'    

'That is because Thor could get away with murder if he wanted to, as for me....' Loki sighed and shook his head, ‘Anyway, yes, he rather enjoyed being surrounded by his friends. They were truly inseparable.'     

'And how about you?'   

Loki looked up at the teen with furrowed brows, 'What about me?'    

'Well, must have been hard to leave your friends behind in Asgard when you came here.' Peter explained casually.  

'Not at all, I brought them with me, most of them, at least,' Loki said with a smile, but as Peter did not seem to understand he sighed as he explained, 'My books, Peter.'    

'Oh, yeah, no, I was referring to your actual friends, you know, _human_ friends. Don't you miss them?' Peter tried again.  

'Oh...' Loki started a bit hesitantly, 'Well, I enjoyed reading over the company of Thor's friends. They were always rather loud and we did not really have anything in common. Plus, the one person I considered my friend, my childhood friend to be more precise, left the palace when she turned 231 to start her own book store, after which I did not saw her all that often, so, to answer your question, no, I do not miss any one of them, not really anyway.'     

'I see...' Peter said as he kept looking at the god.    

'What?' Loki asked as he started to get a little nervous with the boy's staring.   

'I know this is a bit of a rude question but... Lokes, how old are you and Thor?'    

'Thor is 2165 years of age, as for myself, I am 1823, so we do not differ all that much,' Loki chuckled a little at the teen's flabbergasted expression. 'I know that to you this might sound like we are ancient, however, if we were to convert our ages to Midgardian years, Thor would be about 30 years old, and I would be 19 or so.'     

'WHAT?!' Peter shouted, but as the trickster started to laugh, Peter quickly pulled himself together, 'I mean, seriously?'     

'Hey, you are the joker, remember? Not me,' Loki reminded the teen as his laughing continued. 'You should have seen your face, Peter, it was precious.'    

'So...' Peter stammered, 'You are waaaaaaay older than me... and at the same time we are about the same age?!'    

'Indeed.'    

'Like, 1823?!'   

'Yes.'    

'And 19?!'    

‘Quite.'    

'That...!' Peter said with wide open eyes, 'I don't know, that just blew my mind!'     

Loki let out a loud snort, followed by a suppressed laughter, 'I guess it is indeed rather... unusual, Peter, although I do like to believe my mindset is far more mature than yours, or at least more than those of your classmates. I think it makes the most sense if you just think of me as someone your age, but with much more life experience.'    

'Yeah,' Peter chuckled a little nervously, after which he took a deep breath, 'Lokes, listen, I'm really sorry, about the whole making-you-go-to-the-party thing... and pulling you in the water. If I had known you couldn't sw-'    

'Apology excepted, Peter,' Loki said as he raised a hand to stop the teen from talking, 'As I said before, it is not that I cannot swim entirely, it is just...' Loki started, but a silence followed as some memories started to flash through his mind. 'Every summer, Thor and his friends would go swimming. Thor always invited me, but I had to refuse his invitation most of the time, for I could not stand the heat and considering it was a lot cooler inside the palace walls, well, I usually just stayed inside to read or practice my Seiðr. And even if I were to go outside, I mostly had to remain in the shade or I would suffer pretty severe burns,' Loki eventually said and he watched the colour of his skin, comparing it to the slightly bronzed skin of the teen with a defeated smile. 'Not anymore, do not worry, with the use of my Seiðr, I have found a way to be able to go into the sunlight without burning myself. I just assume my condition has something to do with my origins...'    

'Your origins?' Peter asked as he tilted his head a little, 'I know you are adopted, but, you are an Asgardian, right?'    

'Well, actually,' Loki started a bit hesitantly, 'I, I am...' He looked at Peter for a second with a slight hint of panic in his eyes as the word "freak" was the first thing to pop into his mind, 'I am just different from the others...' he eventually settled with for an answer.    

'I see,' Peter said as he noticed the sudden air of discomfort surrounding the trickster. He then smiled and loosely held on to the trickster's hand, 'Well, wherever it is that you are from, I'm just really happy that you are here now.'    

'Well, of course you are,' Loki said after he quickly regained his composure and his hand, 'You should feel honoured to be in the constant presence of this formidable god, Peter.' He laughed and then looked at him, 'Well, I guess an apology from my side is in order as well.'   

'Why?'    

'Well, what I said earlier, I mean, what we... No, what you and Meya have, _had_ , it is called a "fling" correct? A mutual feeling of enjoyment and... unusual, improper behaviour and feelings which are short to last, correct?'    

‘Well, yes but-’    

‘And we, I mean, you and I, we do not share such a relationship, so, since Meya is now truly a being of the past... Well, I do not believe I had any right to act as emotional and absolutely selfish as I did just now. There was no reason why you should have explained yourself to me... I am sorry, Peter, if you think you will be able to find happiness with Valerie, then by all means, do not let me stop you. Though, to be honest, I truly doubt anyone could ever feel the slightest hint of happiness when being with her, but that is none of my concern. I am sorry, Peter, for intervening with your love life.’    

After staring at the god for a few seconds, Peter stopped walking and started to laugh.    

Loki looked at him in confusion. ‘What? You find my apology funny, Peter?’    

‘Oh Lokes, I just can't believe that you can't see it. I'm sorry to compare you to Val, but you have one thing in common: you both insist that I like her. And another thing: you're both wrong.’    

'I am not trying to insist,’ Loki started as he frowned a little, ‘Ned said she is the girl of your dreams, even Flash confirmed this. How would you explain that?’    

Peter sighed deeply as he tried to gather some words. ‘Yeah, that’s easier said than done. Uhm... Okay, so, what I meant in the first place, is that I do not like Valerie. And although I care for Meya, sure, I do not need her back in my life, not at your expense. But, I suppose what matters more...’ Peter tried as he looked up, his gaze met by the questioning emeralds of the trickster, which made him swallow a little nervously, ‘Oh, shit, how do I say this?!’    

‘Language,’ Loki said with a smile. Peter looked at him with a questioning pair of eyes. ‘Use language, you dunce. You know, words, sentences, grammar, all that kind.’    

‘Oh, yeah, thanks, hadn’t thought of that,’ Peter said sarcastically and laughed. ‘Alright, Lokes, here’s the deal... I think I, despite the fact that I know you are not Meya anymore, but you kind of are, I mean, she was you, never mind, anyway,’ Peter said nervously and he took a deep breath to fortify himself, ‘I _care_ for you.’    

‘You _care_ for me?’ Loki repeated hesitantly, not really knowing what he was supposed to say. ‘And what do you mean with that, Peter?’    

‘Well, actually…! I don’t know, yet, I mean, I’ll figure it out, but first I would like to ask you your opinion on this whole... situation. So, what do you think?’    

‘I am just glad we are friends, Peter. Good talk.’ Peter stared at Loki with wide open eyes, causing the Liesmith to turn red and chuckle. ‘My apologies, it seems like lying is still an automatic response. You want to know how I feel, using honest words?’    

‘Preferably,’ Peter said with a wide grin.    

‘Hm...’ Loki said with an uncomfortable smile. ‘This _is_ harder than I imagined... I think I will join you in your “I’ll figure it out”-comment, but for now, I would be glad to just, well, get to know one another better, I think.’    

‘Agreed!’ Peter said gladly. ‘So, what do you want to talk about?’ he added in excitement as he suddenly burst with energy.  

Loki laughed and he looked at the teen, ‘I think I will better head back to my chamber, I have to get up early.’    

‘Why?’ Peter asked surprised, ‘You have plans?’    

‘Yes, I am just going to return some books I borrowed from a friend, the one I spoke of earlier? Nothing fancy, it would be nice to see her again, though,’ Loki said as a more melancholic smile then became visible on his face.    

‘Return some books... in Asgard?’ Peter asked as his smile grew wider.    

‘Yes, do you suppose I have any friends on Midgard besides the Avengers?’    

‘No, I mean, sure, you could have, right! But, I just figured...’    

‘Yes, she lives in Asgard. She used to work in the Royal Library but she now owns a bookstore.’  

‘Lokes...?’ Peter started with gleaming eyes.   

‘What?’    

‘Can I come along? Please?’    

‘What? No, I mean, why would you even want to?’    

‘I just really want to see Asgard! Please?’    

‘I am just going to return some books, visit an old friend and that will be all, Peter, I have no time to go sight-seeing.’    

‘That’s okay!’ Peter smiled, ‘I’ll just follow you, like a shadow. You won’t even notice I'm there!’    

‘I highly doubt that, Peter.’ Loki smirked a little. ‘But I guess, if it really means that much to you...’    

‘YES!!! Oh, you won’t regret it, Lokes!’ Peter shouted as he hugged the trickster.     

‘Oh, I already am,’ Loki chuckled as he tried to get out of the embrace, only now realising how incredibly strong the teen really was. ‘Anyway, should we not tell your... tutors, where you are going?’    

‘Nah, I’ll just send Tony a text or something. He won’t mind, I’m sure.’    

‘If you say so...’  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for this chapter, now for today, instead of putting a super hero in the spotlights, we would like to give you facts about a place. 
> 
> Hopefully you will enjoy, our facts about Asgard.
> 
> Asgard in Norse mythology + a short tale:
> 
> In the middle of the world, high up in the sky is Asgard. It’s the home of the Gods and Goddesses. The male Gods in Asgard, are called Aesir, and the female Gods are called Asynjur. Odin is the ruler of Asgard and the chief of the Aesir. Odin is married to Frigg; and she is the Queen of the Aesir.
> 
> A certain smith arrived at Asgard one day and offered to build the gods a high wall around their home to protect them from any who might wish them ill. The smith (certainly a giant himself) said he could complete his work in a mere three seasons, but demanded a steep compensation: the hand of the goddess Freya in marriage, as well as the sun and moon. The gods took counsel together. Freya was adamantly against the giant’s terms from the start. But Loki suggested that the builder should obtain that which he desired, although only if he could complete his work in a single winter, with no aid from anyone but his horse, Svadilfari. After much deliberation, the gods consented to Loki’s plan.
> 
> When the end of winter was only three days ahead, the wall was strong enough to be impenetrable by almost any enemy, and – alarmingly – lacking little before it was finished. Only the stones around the gate had yet to be put in place. The anxious gods seized Loki and rebuked him for giving them such foul advice. They threatened him with death if he couldn’t find a way to prevent the giant from finishing his task Loki pleaded with the gods to spare his life, and swore an oath that he would do as the gods desired, come what may. That night, the giant and Svadilfari ventured into the snow-draped forest in search of stones. Along their way, a mare, who was none other than Loki in disguise, whinnied to the stallion from a short distance away. When the stallion saw the mare, his heart wasn’t the only organ that was roused by delight and lust, and he snapped his reins and bounded into the woods after her. The mare ran all night, and all night Svadilfari chased after her. When morning came, the giant’s horse was still missing, and the now-despairing giant knew that there was no way that he could now finish the wall in time.
> 
> The Aesir then paid the giant the wages they deemed he deserved: a fatal blow from Thor’s hammer, which shattered his head into pieces no bigger than breadcrumbs.  
> Meanwhile, deep in the forest, Svadilfari had caught up with Loki, who soon gave birth to a gray, eight-legged horse – Sleipnir, who became the steed of Odin.
> 
>  
> 
> Well, that's it for now! Hope to see all of you in two days! :D


	15. Another midnight drive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH 
> 
> DEAR
> 
> NORNS
> 
> I've been trying to upload....! For 30 minutes!
> 
> Seriously though, i've spend the last two hours trying to upload this chapter but i keep getting errors.... so yeah... well IT FINALLY WORKED! TAKE THAT AO3!  
> So, really hope you will enjoy this one XD

'I have to admit,' Steve smiled, an empty cup in his hands. 'Latte Ma... This coffee sure is good,' he smiled as he gave up on pronouncing this specific coffee type.      

‘And there’s a dozen other options. Sometimes you just have to try something new,’ Tony said, a smile on his face as he found himself amazed at how the captain was always so easily impressed.  

'Really?' the blond asked with a bit of a smirk, ‘Fine, I'll try another,' he said, enthusiastically walking towards the kitchen.    

Tony chuckled as he waited for the Captain to return, but he raised a questioning brow as he could swear he heard the man grumble and the coffee machine restarting over and over again. 'You okay in there?' the playboy shouted towards the kitchen.    

'Yeah, I'm fine!' Steve replied as he walked towards the couch again. As he took a big gulp from his coffee, his expression changed completely, his face twitching slightly as he struggled to even swallow the hot liquid. 'I think your machine's broken though, there's hardly anything coming out of that thing,' he said as some tears started to form in his eyes and he coughed loudly. ‘Plus, the coffee that _does_ come out tastes really weird.’  

‘Give me that,’ Tony sighed and he took a sip, which caused him to laugh until he almost fell from the couch.    

‘What? What is it?’ Steve asked confused.   

‘This is the kind of coffee you’re supposed to drink in small portions, Cap. It’s an Espresso. It’s full of caffeine. And you just made an entire mug of it!’  

‘Explains a lot,’ Steve smiled in embarrassment and he looked at the cup. ‘Well, we’re not wasting good coffee.’   

'Steve, please don't! Just throw it out, you won't sleep if you finish that thing,' Tony tried to warn him, 'Just empty it in one of the plants. It's been a hot day, I'm sure they won't mind a drink or two.'    

‘I’m not throwing it away, Tony, that’s horrible. Knowing you, I’m sure it’s expensive stuff and _I_ made this cup of coffee, so _I’m_ finishing it.’    

‘I don’t mind, Rogers, just-’    

At that moment, Steve gulped the coffee down quickly and showed his friend the empty cup, his face twitching as the flavours hit him. ‘Done,’ he managed to utter with a hoarse voice.    

'You're an idiot, Rogers,' Tony laughed as he saw a tear rolling down his friend's cheek, who hurriedly wiped it from his face, 'Why is it such a big deal for you to throw food out, anyway?' he asked, thinking back to the broccoli discussion they had before Peter’s prom.   

'I don't know...' Steve sighed as he sat down, regaining his voice a little, 'It's just, when I lived with my mom, we didn't really have a lot of money, so throwing out food was almost like a deadly sin,' he said with a melancholic smile as memories started to parade before his eyes like a film, memories he thought he had long lost. 'And then there was the war, in which both money and food were scarce... So yeah, I guess that's just still lingering in the back of my mind, somewhere...' He then looked at Tony, a bit of an ashamed smile on his face. 'I know, I know, the past is in the past. It's just really hard to let go, sometimes...'    

‘I, I never thought of that, Cap,’ Tony said softly, thinking about what his own father had taught him, which was practically nothing to be honest, but he could not remember any lecture on this subject. To lift the atmosphere a little and bring them both back to the present, Tony stood up to get himself a cup of coffee as well, readying himself to join his friend in his many sleepless hours to come.  

 

*****

 

'Well,' Steve said as he had been staring at the ceiling with wide open eyes for a couple of hours, 'It's already three o’clock... I should go to bed, but... Maybe it's better to just take another cup of that, uhm, Espresso and skip a night, don't you think?'   

 

‘No, no,’ Tony said from the other sofa, snatching the coffee mugs from the table. ‘You are going to learn from this experience the hard way.’    

'But I'm not tired... at all,' Steve said without blinking once. He then jumped to his feet, startling Tony as he did so, making his friend almost drop the two mugs. 'I know! I'll just go for a run, that should wear me out.' He smiled brightly as he threw off his vest.    

‘A run?!’ Tony sighed as he fought to keep his eyes open, ‘You’re hopeless, Cap.’  

'You wanna join?' Steve asked, taking off his shirt as he hyperactively searched for his gym bag and he pulled out an old shirt as he finally found it.     

After staring at the shirtless blond for a few seconds, Tony managed to snap out of his trance. ‘Do I look like I’m going out for a midnight jog, Steve? IS ANY SANE PERSON EVER?!’ Despite his irritation, he could not help but laugh, ‘Except for you right now.’    

‘Suits yourself, I’ll see you later,’ Steve said with a smile as he ran for the backdoor. 'Wait!' he then shouted and grabbed his bag from the table, throwing in his clean shirt and vest he just took off, 'I could just take a run towards S.H.I.E.L.D.' He looked at the clock. 'I've got three hours, I should be able to make that just in time and I can take a shower there.' He smiled, 'Sure you don’t wanna join in?'    

‘You’re gonna run all the way to S.H.I.E.L.D.?’ Tony asked in disbelief. ‘And you’d rather do that than try to catch some sleep?’    

‘At the moment, yeah,’ Steve said with a smile, hardly able to stand still. 'Tony, I feel like I'm bursting with energy, I've got to do, well, something.'    

'… Okay,' Tony said, smirking a little, 'Just don't call me halfway for a ride. That caffeine won't last forever, you know.'   

'Yeah, sure,' Steve smiled brightly, giving Tony a quick pat on the back before running towards the door again. 'Bye! See you tomorrow evening!'    

Tony blinked as his body seemed frozen. 'Yeah...' he eventually said as he took a deep breath and even though Steve was long gone, he added; 'See you tomorrow, Cap...'  

After putting the two mugs in the dishwasher, Tony managed to drag his tired body upstairs. He changed clothes and sluggishly brushed his teeth while his head rested against the mirror. After that, he crawled into his bed, wondering if he should call the hyperactive captain as he placed his phone on his nightstand. Convincing himself that the blond idiot would be fine, he placed his head on his pillow, and fell asleep before he could even turn off the lights. Unfortunately for him however, it only took a few hours before he was abruptly woken from his sleep. He looked around in a daze, wondering what sound had ended his pleasant dreaming.    

'What the...?' he mumbled with squinted eyes as he looked at his phone, noticing that it was the Captain himself who was calling him. 'Nooo,' Tony moaned, wondering whether to pick up the phone or not, but he sighed and did so anyway, although he refrained himself from speaking. The playboy smirked at first as the Captain was also completely silent, but as he heard the man sigh, probably about to hang up, he quickly said; ‘It’s me, genius.’    

‘Oh, hey, Tony,’ Steve said, his voice a little louder than usual in his sudden embarrassment.  

'I told you the caffeine would run out, you big idiot.'    

'Yeah, sorry,' Tony heard a voice softly panting on the other side of the line. 'Could you, maybe, uhm... send one of your self-driving cars to come and pick me up?' Steve asked carefully.    

Tony sighed deeply, making sure it was clearly audible on the other end of the phone. 'Where are you?' A long silence followed the question, making Tony wonder whether the captain even heard him. 'Cap, you still there?'   

'Yeah, it’s just, I'm not exactly sure where I am right now...' Steve's voice started hesitantly.    

'Oh, come on, Cap! Don't you bring a map when you go for a midnight run?!'    

'Well, no, but I really thought I was going in the right direction and,' Steve started as he looked around himself hoping to find a road sign or anything that could give him a clue to where he was.    

'That was a rhetoric question and heavily sarcastic for that matter, Cap, don't answer it. Try to figure out where you are. What do you see?'    

'Not much, it's quite dark,' Steve chuckled as he looked around himself. ‘All I know is that I'm out of the city, somewhere on Interstate 78, but...’     

‘I will just have to use the tracker then, don't I?' Tony sighed, slowly getting up from his bed.     

'…You got a tracker on me?’  

'No, Cap, I gave you all the _freedom_ to go as you all pleased without me monitoring things. I'll reconsider that decision, though, but the car should be able to find you. I'll go get it.'   

'Okay, yeah, thanks, Tony...' Steve smiled a little. 'I'll be sure to stay put.'   

‘You better,’ was the only reply from Tony before he grumpily hung up the phone.   

After waiting for at least two hours, Steve finally saw a familiar sports car driving his way. The car stopped in front of him, the darkened window slowly rolling down.    

'Yeah, I usually don't take hitchhikers,' Tony said a bit cranky though he couldn't hide his smirk.    

'Sorry, sir, it seems like I have lost my way,' Steve smiled in embarrassment. 'Could you maybe make an exception? Just this once?'    

'Well, you seem like a good kid. You didn't do any weird stuff, did you? No drugs, no alcohol, no too strong coffee or anything?' As Steve sighed with a beaten smile on his face, Tony opened the passenger door. 'Get in, Cap. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s waiting.'   

As the Captain got himself strapped in, Tony started to drive, his fingers tapping a little rhythm on the steering wheel for the following silence seemed to make both men uncomfortable. 'You're going to be late for work, you know?' Tony eventually said with a slight smirk. 'Have you ever been late for anything, Captain Midnight Run?'    

'Yeah, I have,' Steve nodded, absentmindedly staring out of the window with tired eyes.     

'Well?' Tony asked, wanting to know more.    

'I was supposed to meet the girl of my dreams for a dance...' Steve said as he fought to keep his eyes open.   

'And why didn't you show up?'    

'Well, I was trapped in ice for nearly 70 years...' Steve said with a melancholic smiled, a sad expression clouding his face when he stopped talking.   

'Yeah, okay, that's a better excuse than some crazy caffeine-inspired midnight-run,' Tony chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, but since the Captain remained gloomy, he decided to change the subject, 'Have you ever considered it?'    

'Considered what?'   

'Settling down, you know, with a wife, nice house, family?'    

'I did, once, but that was all before the cryosleep,' Steve mumbled with a slow nod.    

'And why wouldn't you still want that? I mean, sure, every suitable woman you’d date is seventy years younger than you, but you're Captain America, there must be thousands of...'    

'I don’t know, Tony,' Steve interrupted his friend. 'I haven't thought about it ever since I woke up. It’s just that, ever since the war, I don’t really have that need anymore, I guess. Perhaps that guy from Brooklyn died in the ice.'      

‘But...’ Tony said as he looked over at the Captain, squinting his eyes a little, ‘Wait, how old were you, anyway, when you went out for war?’     

‘Well, it took me over a year to get accepted into the army, so, I must have been nineteen or so.’    

‘Shit, Cap…’ Tony mumbled as he thought this through, ‘Don’t you think that’s a little too young?’     

‘Too young?’ Steve repeated as he looked at the playboy with furrowed brows, ‘Tony, it was war, people were dying all over the world. I couldn’t just sit around doing nothing while others laid down their lives.’     

‘I know, I know, it’s just… God, you were the same age then as Peter is now, I can’t even imagine him-’     

‘Well you don’t have to.’ The captain stated firmly, ‘We won, Tony, the war is over… At least, WWII is.’      

After this, a pressing silence filled the air. Tony cleared his throat, wanting to say something to the captain to break the thick layer of ice that just seemed to grow between the two with every word he spoke.    

‘So…’ the playboy finally continued, ‘How old were you when you, you know, crashed into the ice?’      

Steve stared out the window for a little while before turning to his friend to answer, ‘Twenty-five.’     

‘You gotta be kidding me,’ Tony said, his jaw dropping somewhat. ‘I was still partying every weekend and sobering up the rest of the week when I was that age.’    

‘Yeah, well, our younger selves weren’t that much alike, I guess,’ Steve said as he shifted awkwardly in his chair.    

‘But, wait, that means that you’re both 25 and, like, what? A 100 years old?’ Tony said as casually as he could, trying to lift the mood, if only a little, though a nervous smile shone through, ‘I mean, what am I even supposed to call you now? Old man? Kid?’ he added with something that was supposed to be a laugh.     

‘You can just call me the same as you have always done,’ Steve replied, ‘Captain, or Rogers.’     

‘… Is Steve okay too?’ Tony tried with a smile.    

It was only now that the blond really looked at his friend, at first, his gaze was a little questionable, but he eventually managed to smile as well. ‘Sure Tony,’ he said, his bright blue eyes finally showing some peace, ‘Steve’s okay too.’   

‘Yay,’ Tony cheered softly, though he smiled genuinely, his smile then turning more dream-like as he looked at his passenger and saw that the soldier had closed his eyes.  

'Weren't you about to settle down, Tony?' Steve asked in a tired voice, though he kept his eyes shut, startling Tony somewhat.    

'You mean with Pepper?' Tony asked casually, though he did not feel casual at all.    

'Yeah, miss Potts, weren’t you two engaged? And you have a long history and all, so I figured...'    

'We care for one another, sure,' Tony started slowly, 'But, yeah, that's why we broke up. We care too much to ruin each other's lives. Well, I would ruin hers, mostly. I don't want her to worry sick about me every time I wander off to do something heroic or stupid or both, you know?'    

'I suppose,' Steve said, adjusting himself a little to get more comfortable in the black leather seat.    

'What about you and, what's her name again? The cute blonde with the gun?'    

'Sharon?' Steve asked surprised as he opened his eyes. 'Yeah, no, it was short to last. We tried to go on a date once, but all we could talk about was work and Peggy and the whole thing was just, I wouldn't say weird, but it wasn't as nice as we both hoped.'    

'Yeah, I think I can understand,’ Tony nodded and he took a deep breath. ‘So here we are,' he said with a pitiful smirk. 'Two devastatingly single men. You know what, maybe we should go out sometime.'    

'You mean you and me?' Steve asked with wide questioning eyes.    

'Oh! No, no, I meant, go out, you know, try and meet new people? Being each other's wingmen and stuff?'    

'Right,' Steve said with a nervous chuckle.    

'You and me,' Tony chuckled along, clasping his hands tighter around the stirring wheel. 'Would be something, huh?'    

'Yeah, just imagine,' Steve said as his eyes started to grow heavy again. 'It would be one big publicity stunt though.'    

'What do you mean?'     

'Well, can't you imagine?' Steve chuckled, holding up his hands as if he was reading a magazine or newspaper, '"The famous womanizer Tony Stark, also known as the invincible Iron Man, is now dating Captain America,"' he stated as if announcing a head line, followed by a short chuckle. 'If the press would hear of this, they would ruin your reputation right away.'     

'Why would my reputation be ruined by dating you? What’s wrong with dating America’s national symbol?’ But as Steve just looked at his fiddling hands, Tony decided to just keep on talking. ‘Listen, I couldn't care less about my reputation, Steve. I mean hey! If I like guys, I like guys, and anyone who's got a problem with that can go fu-' Tony quickly stopped as he saw the Captain's eyes on him, 'Well it would be their loss.' But as the bright blue eyes still watched him, he quickly added, 'Hypothetically, that is, of course.'    

'Yeah...' Steve confirmed though a hint of doubt remained in his voice. 'Tony?'   

'What?'    

'Would you really be okay with that so easily?'    

'With what? My reputation destroyed? Duh, those tabloids couldn't do that even if they'd try,' Tony answered with a confident smirk. 'They love me, Steve, even if they don't love me.'    

'No, I mean, _if_ you would like, well, men,' Steve started carefully, 'Could you really accept that so easily?'    

Tony remained silent for a moment, his eyes fixated on the road ahead. He sighed, turning to the captain again with a smirk, ‘well, I’m Iron Man, I can do and be whatever the hell I want.’ he said with a scoffing chuckle, but as he looked at Steve's warm ocean blue eyes, he closed his mouth, shook his head softly and just smiled. ‘I think I'd be okay with it… It would take some getting used to, but I wouldn't mind.' 

At that moment, the car stopped and Steve noticed they had arrived at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, agent Coulson already impatiently waiting for him at the front door.  

'Now, get out and don't forget to tell everyone why you're late,' Tony said with a smirk as he opened the door electrically with a click on the dashboard.    

'Yeah, you got us lost when you brought me to work, right?' Steve asked, laughing as Tony looked at him in outrage. 'You know that, don't you, Tony?'    

'I know you know what I know, Cap. Good luck on your mission.'    

'Yeah,' Steve replied with a smile as he rubbed his tired eyes and couldn’t supress a large yawn. 'Thanks.'    

'You're gonna need it,' Tony mirked as he put on his sunglasses, driving off rapidly, tires screeching over the concrete driveway.     

Steve smiled as he watched the playboy drive away, 'Show-off.'   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I found out what's causing this chapter to crash, I dont know why, but if I try to post it WITH facts, it crashes, when i post it WITHOUT facts, it's okay....
> 
> So unfortunately, no facts this chapter :( but we'll try again in two days! WE SHALL NOT BE DEFEATED! >:(
> 
> Anyway, that's it for this chapter guys, hope you liked it! Even more so, hope to see you in two days! For then, all will be.... FOR ASGARD!


	16. Out of this Realm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, 
> 
> so first of all, sorry for the long wait! But here it finally is, chapter 16. (and it's a looooong chapter :D)
> 
> Now before we start, I would like to explain something. 
> 
> As you might have noticed, this story takes place AFTER Thor Ragnarok (we've made some Ragnarok references now and then) and before Avengers: Infinity war.  
> Now as we all know, a lot happened during Ragnarok! We made some slight changes to that though... so here's a list of things that DID happen during the movie but DIDN'T happen for this story:
> 
> 1\. Asgard isn't destroyed  
> 2\. Odin isn't dead  
> 3\. Thor hasn't lost his hammer  
> 4\. The warriors three are not dead.
> 
> Now just for the record;
> 
> Thor HAS lost his eye  
> Thor HAS lost his long hair  
> Thor, Banner and Loki HAVE been to Sakaar and met the Grandmaster... and they escaped... 
> 
> We are sorry for the changes we made but it just had to because, well... without Asgard, there's no going to Asgard... :/ Hope you can live with this explanation XD
> 
> Okay, so, everything clear?? Everyone good? Awesome! Now, please grab your oldest British English dictionary and let's shout together:
> 
> FOR ASGARD! >:D

‘I thought only women took this long to get dressed,’ Loki sighed as he sat on Peter’s bed. He had traded his usual Midgardian outfit for an Asgardian tunic, finished with simple black metal details and a pair of black leather boots. ‘Are you nearly done?’ 

‘Almost!’ Peter said as he searched through his closet, a pile of unidentifiable fabrics already composed next to him. 

‘You do know we will only be gone for a couple of hours, right?’ the trickster asked as he looked at the pile that just kept growing. ‘What are you in search of, anyway?’ 

‘I wanted to wear my favorite shirt to Asgard, but I can’t find it anywhere,’ Peter sighed as he went through his closet again. 

‘Your favorite...?’ The trickster chuckled a little after letting out a sigh, ‘You did not think I would allow you to walk around in some Midgardian outfit, did you?’ 

‘Well, I’m sorry, but it’s not like I have anything else to wear,’ Peter remarked, but he suddenly turned around, ‘Wait, does that... does that mean you are going to magic me an outfit?!’ he asked, his eyes wide in excitement. 

‘I am not “magic-ing”,’ Loki sighed, ‘again, I would like to ask of you to not use magic as a verb, Peter, but I will take you to a tailor there and get you something more suited to wear. I bet an Asgardian tunic will look truly great on you. I mean, you do not want me to walk away and stop thinking of “magicking” your outfit and leave you standing in your underwear somewhere on Asgard’s great market, do you?’ 

‘No, that would be really, really awkward,’ Peter chuckled a little as he quickly pulled a shirt from his closet and put it on. 

‘Exactly. So, let’s go, the sooner we leave, the sooner we will be able to return.’ 

‘Got it!’ Peter shouted a little too loudly as he walked out of his room. ‘Uhm, where exactly should we go, anyway?’ 

‘Considering Anthony would like to keep his house from any further destruction, I suppose we better go outside and summon the Bifröst in the backyard. It will leave a mark on the grass but I do believe that to be better than in his home.’ 

‘Oh, right! The Bi-By... the rainbow bridge! Come on, Lokes, let’s go!’ Peter nearly shouted in excitement as he grabbed the trickster by his wrist and pulled him along until they were standing outside. ‘Beam me up, Scotty!’ he smiled as he looked at the sky. 

‘Beam me up... Scotty...?’ the trickster repeated with a questioning expression. ‘Did you honestly think that would work, Peter?’ he smirked. 

‘Uh, no, not really, but I always wanted to say that, if only once,’ the teen chuckled a little in his embarrassment, ‘Sorry, Lokes, go ahead.’ 

The trickster looked at the teen for another second, then shook his head with a smirk as he made sure to stand next to Peter. ‘Heimdall,’ he said as he looked at the sky, ‘Take us to Asgard.’ 

A blinding light followed and before Peter could even question what it was, he found himself at the trickster’s side, facing a towering man who held a sword in hand. The man was at least 16 inches taller than Peter was, his strong build clothed in a dark brown tunic. The golden attire, like his helmet, the chest piece and the armor decorating the brim of his boots, shone brightly in the early morning sun. Despite all of this, it was the color of the man’s eyes that intrigued Peter the most as they were a bright shade of ember the teen had never seen before. 

‘So, you have returned, Your Highness?’ Heimdall asked in his deep voice, watching the trickster closely. 

‘Yes, I have come to return some books,’ Loki said casually, waving some of the books in the air, but as Heimdall still looked at him with stern eyes, the prince sighed ‘Norns, this place is already giving me a headache...’ the trickster mumbled softly and asked sincerely, ‘Am I even welcome here?’ 

‘…Yes,’ the man answered after a short silence, ‘Though I will tell you that I will have to inform the Allfather of your arrival.’ 

‘I hope to have left Asgard before he hears of it, but do as you must,’ Loki nodded. ‘Come on, Peter, let us get this over with as soon as possible.’ the raven said as he took his first step towards the Bifröst bridge. 

‘And who is your fellow traveler?’ Heimdall asked before letting them through. 

‘This is Peter Parker of Midgard. He is one of the Avengers, one of Midgard’s greatest defenders,’ Loki announced, causing Peter to blush somewhat. 

‘I will have to-’ 

‘I know, inform the Allfather. I would consider it treachery if you did not,’ Loki interrupted the towering man, ‘Can we pass now?’ 

‘Yes,’ Heimdall said as he took a step aside, ‘I hope your visit will be more pleasant than you are expecting, Your Highness,’ Heimdall said with a slight smile, Loki staring at him in surprise. ‘You will find Asgard somewhat changed, I believe. And to you, young traveler,’ Heimdall said as he turned to Peter, ‘May the Norns’ fortune smile upon you and consider you a friend of Asgard.’ 

‘Uh, thanks,’ Peter said in awe, a bright smile on his face. ‘Heimdall, was it?’ 

‘That is correct,’ the man said with a confirming nod. ‘I am the gatekeeper of Asgard, the guardian of the Bifröst and watcher of the Nine Realms.’ 

‘Right, well, Heimdall, you’re the first Asgardian I’ve met, next to Thor and Loki of course, and I hope they’re all as kind as you,’ Peter smiled brightly in an attempt to blend in with the Asgardians as best as he could, trying to say something that sounded equally kind and eloquent as the words Heimdall had directed at him. 

‘Come on, Peter, I believe we have spent enough time here,’ Loki said as he was already walking towards the great city. 

‘Yeah, coming!’ Peter said happily as he followed the raven, though he turned around once more to wave Heimdall goodbye, the man resembling a motionless statue. Eventually, the watcher raised a hand to greet the teen back.  
‘So, where are we going again?’ Peter asked, staring in amazement at the golden city in front of them. He laid his eyes upon the biggest market he had ever seen. The streets were crowded with merchants, street performers and citizens alike. He saw stands selling fruits, flowers, herbs and bread, causing for a sweet and mouth-watering scent to fill the air. He wanted to walk straight into the crowd and investigate each and every stand he would come across, but Loki held on to his arm and took a sharp turn right, following the edge of the city past small cottages and shops. 

‘Just follow me, Peter, and please do not wander off, it is a bit dangerous to get lost in these streets. I would never be able to find you,’ the trickster said as he looked the teen up and down, ‘Although someone wearing a Midgardian outfit would be rather hard to miss,’ he chuckled. 

‘Yeah, sure,’ Peter said absentmindedly as he stared around at the sweet little houses with their fragrant gardens, in the meantime enjoying the faraway sounds of people, a peaceful murmur like the waves of the ocean, making this part of town seem even more quiet. ‘Loki, I think we’re not in Kansas anymore,’ he said with a smirk, looking at the trickster. 

‘We never have been in Kansas, Peter, we were in New York, did you honestly not know that?’ Loki answered, the teen’s remark striking him as rather odd. 

‘No, it’s a reference, you know, The Wizard of Oz?’ 

‘I do not know any wizard who is of Oz, and frankly I have never heard of that place in my life.’ The trickster said as he continued to navigate them through the streets.

‘No, not an actual wizard, the movie, you know? And then the girl says to the dog that they must have been over the rainbow and we... We just crossed the rainbow bridge,’ Peter tried to explain, but he soon noticed the god had absolutely no idea what he was talking about, ‘... Never mind, I just wanted to say it.’ 

‘Just like your “beam me up” reference?’ the trickster asked a little confused. 

‘Yeah, quite! Though it would be really funny to hear Dorothy say “beam me up, Scotty!” while Captain Kirk was clicking his heels, saying “there’s no place like home”,’ Peter laughed, waiting for Loki to join him. 

‘... You just lost me there completely, Peter, but I am certain it sounds very amusing in your head,’ the trickster said as he patted the teen on his back. 

‘Oh, but Lokes, this is a dangerous place to get lost!’ Peter laughed, ‘You just said so yourself, right?’ 

'Alright, Mr. Wise Guy, you better drop that attitude or I will ask Heimdall to open the Bifröst and you will be in Midgard within a matter of seconds,’ Loki laughed as he walked into a small boutique. ‘First stop, Peter,’ he smiled, ‘Time to get you some Asgardian attire.’ 

‘Is this the moment I get a cape?!’ Peter gasped as he quickly tried to peek inside through the window. 

‘... We shall see about that,’ As Loki opened the door of the shop, he was greeted by the smell of new clothes, leather and a faint hint of smothering wood as a fire place in the corner of the store was slowly dying. In a corner of the shop an elderly man was stacking clothing on a shelf in neat piles, mumbling to himself as he did so. 

‘Good morning, Stian,’ Loki spoke with a warm voice. 

The shopkeeper was clearly startled by the sudden sound and he turned around quickly, dropping the clothes to the ground. ‘Loki…?’ the old man whispered under his breath, looking at the trickster as if confronted with a ghost from his past. ‘Your Highness!’ he said happily as he walked towards the two. ‘Welcome to my shop, my prince!’ the old man placed his hands on Loki’s shoulders, ‘By the Norns, it is good to see you! You have grown, no doubt! Or maybe I have shrunk, a bit of both I am afraid,’ he laughed. ‘It has been so long! How have you been? Where have you been?!’ the old man spoke as tears of happiness started to form in his eyes. ‘Come in, come in,’ he said before Loki even had the chance to answer, the man taking him along to a cozy sitting area behind the counter. 

Stian let himself fall in an old chair, and it was only then that he noticed the young adult at the raven’s side, ‘By the roots of Yggdrasil! My prince, you should have told me you brought company,’ he said as he wanted to stand up from his chair to properly greet Peter. 

‘That’s alright, sir,’ Peter quickly said with a smile as he held out his hand, making sure the old man could keep seated in his worn-out chair. 

‘Thank you, young boy, these bones are not what they used to be,’ the man chuckled. ‘But I will never give up my trade! Now, what can I do for you, gentlemen?’ 

‘My friend needs some proper Asgardian clothing, Stian, as you can see,’ Loki smiled, gesturing at Peter, who just chuckled along. 

‘Is that right? Well then, you have come to the right place! Did you know, young sir, I used to make all the clothes for the Odinsons?’ the man asked as he turned to Peter. 

‘Really?’ Peter asked surprised, noticing Loki rolling his eyes with a smile which told him this was a story the man had told more often. 

‘Yes, it is true! Everyone wore my creations! Oh, Frigga’s dresses would keep me up many nights, but they were always worth it. Such royal gowns for such a beautiful queen! And the young princes, well, they would not stop growing! They needed new clothing every two months! Can you believe that?!’ the man spoke enthusiastically, his attention then turning to the trickster.

‘Yes, it was truly a shame you had to leave...’ Loki said in shame, a feeling of guilt hitting him as he remembered how his adoptive father had ordered the old man to leave the palace as he had found the tailor too old to be of any more service.

‘I was sad to leave the palace, yes…’ the man agreed, but he shrugged and patted the trickster on the shoulder. ‘Oh well, what is done is done, my dear boy. I have my shop and enough customers to keep me in business.’ He said as his kind words managed to conjure a smile on the trickster’s face, ‘Anyway, my prince, you find me rambling again, while your friend is in dire need of some proper clothing!’ He looked Peter up and down. ‘I already found your friend’s attire, well, unusual, to say the least. A lord deserves better, would you not agree?’ 

‘A lord?’ Peter repeated with wide eyes, ‘Oh, no, sir, I am not,’ he quickly rambled. 

‘Oh, hush, people will think you are a lord when I am done with you,’ the man laughed. ‘Now, young sir, what is it you are looking for exactly? Do you have any knowledge regarding Asgardian clothing?’ 

‘Well,’ Peter said as he thought this through, ‘I know Loki and Thor have these awesome capes when they change into their entire battle-mode outfits!’ He looked at Loki with an excited smile, ‘The green cape! The golden helmet! It's really cool!’ his smile widened as he noticed a soft red coloring the trickster’s cheeks accompanied by a shy smile.

‘A cape!’ the man shouted as he clapped his hands. ‘Sir, you are my kind of customer. Now, what else? I suppose you would like to wear more than just a cape?’ 

‘BOOTS!’ Peter shouted in his enthusiasm, as he pointed at the leather boots the trickster was wearing, ‘And and, magic items! Like Loki’s spear or his daggers or Thor’s hammer! I would really like one of those!’ 

‘Peter,’ Loki interrupted his friend with a chuckle, his chuckle then dying slowly as he could not help but wonder what the teen would look like wearing nothing but a cape and a pair of high-quality leather boots. He quickly cleared his throat and shook his head as he fought against a bright red blush that was threatening to color his entire face, earning him a questioning look from the teen and the old man. ‘P-please, behave yourself,’ he eventually managed to speak. 

‘That is quite alright, my prince,’ the old man laughed as he stood up. ‘I am happy to hear you find my designs so appealing, young Parkerson. I might have something you will like!’ the old man said as he took a few steps towards one of the shelves, pulling out a tunic in the colors of Red, blue and a fine black line, at which Loki laughed. 

‘Please, try that one on, Peter, it will be the Asgardian version of your Spider-man outfit,’ the trickster laughed, which caused the old man to look at the two with questioning eyes. 

‘Is, is this not to your liking?’ the man asked as he was already taking a step to turn towards his shelves again. 

‘No, no, it is quite alright,’ Loki said with a devious smirk on his face, ‘Go on, try them, Peter.’ 

‘No devious smirking!’ the man warned the raven as Loki received a pat on his head with a rolled-up book full of designs. ‘How many times do I have to tell you that? Such a nasty habit...’ 

‘My apologies, sir...’ Loki said, rubbing the back of his head while his grin turned into more of a careful smile. 

Peter let out a soft snort and smiled at the rather cute display as he shook his head. Never had he seen the god so at ease. ‘Well, Lokes, I, for one, would like something more, traditional perhaps, if that is possible, sir.' 

‘Of course! No problem at all!’ Stian said as he carefully placed the clothes back on the shelve. ‘Let’s see, let’s see... Something with a cape, boots and...’ the man mumbled as he searched through the neatly stacked piles of clothes, in the meantime continuing his story; ‘Did you know, that even after the great Allfather had relieved me from my duties, young prince Loki would still come to my shop for his clothes?’ he now turned his eyes towards the old, slightly warn down front door, ‘Ah, yes, I remember it like it was just a hundred years ago. The poor Allmother came into my store, a real honor, as you can imagine, and she carried a young, crying raven child in her arms.’ 

Peter looked past the man at the trickster in the chair, who absentmindedly stared at the wooden floor, his mind wandering back to the exact moment the tailor was speaking of. 

Loki indeed remembered the first time he came to Stian’s shop when he was little. He remembered the warm and gentle arms of his mother wrapped around his body as she had carried him. A soft shiver ran down his spine as the memory made him feel those same loving arms around him again. 

‘She placed the little prince on the floor,’ the old man continued, ‘and Loki came running straight at me and hugged me like he had not seen me for centuries. The gracious queen told me Loki refused to see their new royal tailor and that he would only try new outfits if they came from my hands, and mine alone!’ he said proudly. ‘And queen Frigga would allow it! Can you imagine that? The Allmother allowing her youngest child to wear clothes made by this old fool?’ he laughed. 

‘It’s really amazing, sir,’ Peter said, his smile widening even further as Loki looked at him with a slight smile himself. 

‘But you, young sir, what will you wear?’ the man said as he looked through the shelves and the book in his hand in turns. ‘Something with softer colors, yes... Something bright, but natural, I’ve got it!’ he shouted, clearly startling the trickster who was sitting in the chair which stood next to the man, as he carefully prepared a bundle of clothing and handed it to the young adult. ‘There, now go try it on, young sir!’ 

‘Thank you, sir,’ Peter said as he held on the surprisingly heavy clothes and he walked towards a changing booth, disappearing behind the curtains. 

‘I am truly sorry that I have not visited in so long,’ Loki mumbled to the old man as Peter was out of sight. ‘I meant to, but many things happened and...’ 

‘Do not worry about it, my prince. I have heard many stories and to see you here before me, happy and tranquil and, well, alive, brings me much joy.’ Stian said as he placed his hands on the trickster’s shoulder once more, much like a proud father, Loki merely meeting his gaze with a grateful smile. 

Touched by the man’s kind words, Loki smiled warm heartedly, ‘Thank you, Stian. I will be sure to take you to Midgard, someday, I believe there is a lot to talk about…’ 

‘I’m not sure I got this on the right way,’ Peter’s voice suddenly sounded from the booth. 

‘Never mind that, Peter, just come out and we will help you,’ Loki chuckled. At that moment, Peter exited the booth, a semi-long turquoise cape waving around him as he fumbled with a golden belt that was supposed to be strapped around his waist over the rest of the outfit, which was mostly of white fabric with turquoise and ochre details. 

‘It’s this damn...’ Peter mumbled as he fiddled with the belt, he then looked up at the two men in front of him, ‘It’s this belt, I don’t get the gist of it, sir.’ 

‘Oh, that is easy, my boy!’ Stian gestured, ‘May I?’ 

Peter nodded and within a second the man had fitted the buckle perfectly. 

‘Now, just one more thing,’ the old man said as he enthusiastically searched through the head pieces displayed at the shop window. ‘Now where is it...’ he mumbled. ‘Please wait, I know it is here somewhere!’ he said as he dedicatedly continued his search. ‘Ah, there it is,’ he carefully grabbed a golden headpiece, decorated with a turquoise stone in the middle. ‘There,’ he placed the item on Peter’s head and he adjusted his hair a little. ‘All done!’ 

‘Isn’t this a little too much?’ Peter asked insecurely, carefully scanning the headpiece with the tip of his fingers. 

‘Not for a young Asgardian lord, like yourself,’ the old man said with a smile. ‘No, do not dread, you look royal.’ 

‘So, what do you think, Lokes? Do I look like a real Asgardian now?’ Peter asked as he proudly waved his cape a little. He turned around as he heard no answer from his friend and found Loki staring at him. ‘Lokes?’ He tried again, chuckling this time. 

The old man looked at Peter and then at the raven at his side and gave him a soft nudge. ‘My prince, you have been spoken to. I believe an answer would be the proper to respond with right now.’ 

‘Oh, yes, of course, no you, uhm,’ Loki started a bit startled, as if wakened from some form of spell, ‘My apologies, what was your question, Peter?’ 

Peter looked at the raven and laughed. ‘Do I look like an average Asgardian now?’ he repeated. 

‘No,’ Loki stated, at which Peter dropped his shoulders, his smile instantly fading in insecurity, ‘You look far better than that, Peter, you look,’ the trickster stammered, as he searched for the right word, ‘Divine, like a real prince, no, better, a real god,’ Loki said as he took a step closer towards the teen, carefully brushing a lose strain of hair back in place. ‘Sei perfetta per me,’ he whispered softly with a smile as he took a step back again, referring to the song they had slow-danced to during prom. 

‘T-thank you, Lokes,’ Peter smiled as he felt his cheeks turning a soft shade of red. He then placed his hand on his chest in surprise as he wondered why it felt like his heart just skipped a beat. 

‘Well, you go and grab your old clothes, Peter,’ Loki smiled. ‘We should get going.’ 

‘Right!’ Peter ran back to the booth, retrieving his clothes and stuffing them in his backpack. 

‘What do I owe you, sir?’ Loki asked politely as he grabbed his wallet. 

‘Twenty Aria, my prince.’ 

‘...Alright,’ Loki said with a smile as he placed 30 golden coins on the counter. 

‘Even I can hear that you placed more than twenty on that counter, young man.’

‘What? I did not hear a thing.’ Loki said, careful not to smirk, ‘Peter, let’s go!’ 

‘My prince,’ the man sighed, but the trickster ignored him. ‘You should really work on your counting, Loki, for your own financial good,’ Stian said, a little louder this time. 

‘Yes, well, I have never been good at calculus, you know this.’ Loki smiled. ‘I would like to thank you, Stian, it has truly been a pleasure to see you again after all these years,’ the raven stretched out his hand to greet the man goodbye, about five feet of space separating them.

Stian stared at Loki for a second, then slowly stumbled over to the Asgardian prince and held the hand in his own as he gently shook it. ‘Until we meet again, Your Highness. It was, again, a great honor to see you.’ The man looked at their hands and laughed as he shook his head. He then wrapped his old arms around Loki and smiled. ‘You are a good kid, Loki,’ he let go of the raven, his hands now firmly on the trickster’s shoulders, ‘and do not ever let anyone tell you otherwise, do you hear me?’ he said with a warm and caring voice. 

‘I will try,’ Loki replied with a sweet smile. As he noticed Peter walking towards them, he slowly let go of the man and smiled, holding the wrinkled hands in his own for a moment. ‘Until we meet again, Stian. Take care of yourself, my friend.’ 

‘And so should you,’ the man answered with a smile. ‘And work on your counting!’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for this chapter! Really hope you liked it.
> 
> Now that you have met our second original character (including Valerie), we would like today's facts to give you some more information about this friendly tailor.  
> So, in all hopes you liked him, we happily present to you: Stian Asgerson.
> 
> Stian and his wife Eira met under dramatic circumstances, namely during the great war between the Vanir gods (Vanaheim) and the Aesir gods (Asgard). Eira, a Valkyrie, arrived as a messenger at the camp of Odin's army, informing the Allfather that her sisters needed help. After delivering her message, she fainted due to her injuries. As she woke, she found her wounds tended by a young soldier, Stian, who had watched over her and was determined to nurse her back to health. During her recovery, the two of them fell in love, vowing to one another to marry if they were to survive the war. The day after the war ended, Stian and Eira got married, entering a marriage that would last for many ages.
> 
> A child was born to Stian and Eira and they named the boy Davyn. As a son of two soldiers, Davyn seemed destined to become a great warrior himself, which caused him to be recruited for Asgard's army when he had hardly reached adulthood. However, in the war against Odin's daughter Hella, death found him on the battlefield, and he was carried to Valhalla. Stian and Eira were heartbroken to see their only child leave them, and Stian vowed never to take up arms again for the rest of his life. Torn by grief, Eira followed her child to the gates of Valhalla not soon after him, her earlier battles as a Valkyrie and her strong love for her son opening the doors for her, so she could spend her afterlife with Davyn. As Stian one night found himself making the dress for his deceased wife, who had yet to receive a funeral, he found the delicate work so reminiscent of his love for her, that he decided to take up work as a tailor to honor his lost love and remember his family every day.
> 
> Stian's devotion to his work caused him to acquire fame all over Asgard, and eventually the Allfather himself appointed him as the court's tailor. During his time there, Stian's affection for the royal family only grew, even as he was one day commanded to retire from the palace, for the Allfather believed him to be too old to properly continue his trade. His absence did not go unnoticed by the youngest prince, who had considered the man a friend and a kind face in the chaos that was his home. After much insistence from her son, Frigga agreed to let Stian make all the young raven’s clothing, despite the arguments from the new royal tailor. Young prince Loki visited the old man frequently to hear the stories about Stian's life, his warrior wife Eira and his brave son Davyn, of whom Loki reminded the old man often.
> 
>  
> 
> That's it for this chapter everyone. Truly hope you liked it. Please let us know in the comments and we shall be seeing you in two days for the next Asgardian adventure!


	17. A Grand entrance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone and welcome back!
> 
> I would like to start by thanking you all for your awesome comments! You have no idea how much it means to us and how we smile at our cellphones like idiots every time we read your kind words. 
> 
> Now, as I have already told some of you, this was absolutely one of my favorite chapters to write!  
> We hope you will like it as much as we do and we hope it will give you a good laugh!
> 
> Please enjoy!

‘Come one Peter, the book shop is not too far from here, we just have to take a left,’ Loki said as the two now stood outside the shop of the tailor. ‘At least, I think...’ the raven said hesitantly.    

‘But...’ Peter started as Loki pulled him along the outskirts of town, the festive cheer of the market sometimes reaching them through the alleys. ‘Can’t we go through the market instead? Please? I really want to see it!’    

‘Well,’ Loki said as he looked at the crowded streets, ‘I guess we could, but it will take us a lot longer to get there.’    

‘I don’t mind!’ Peter said enthusiastically.    

Loki sighed and looked at the teen. ‘Alright Peter, you win, we will take the market streets.’    

‘Awesome, come on, let’s go!’ Peter said as he could hardly keep himself from running towards the closest stand.    

The two walked through the busy streets, Peter admiring every stand they came across, enthusiastically running from one stand to the next, while Loki merely followed him with a smile, trying to not lose him out of sight.     

‘Hey, Lokes? What are those?’ Peter asked as he took an abrupt halt at a fruit stand and pointed at a basket filled with what he could only describe as brightly colored artichokes.    

‘Those are Dragon Fruits, Peter,’ Loki said as he finally caught up with the teen. ‘They are quite delicious, would you care to try one?’    

‘Yes, please!’ the teen smiled as he tried to decide which color to pick. He held a green one in one hand, a red one in the other, though he also wanted to try the bright purple and pink one. ‘I, I can’t choose, they all look great, weird but great.’     

‘Just pick one, Peter,’ Loki smiled as he himself took an ocean-blue one from the basket.    

‘Okay, uhm... this one!’ Peter said as he grabbed a yellow colored fruit.    

The raven laughed as he turned towards the old man at the other side of the stand. ‘How much do I owe you, sir?’ the trickster asked politely, feeling a hint of surprise when he noticed the Sakaarian way the old man was dressed.   

‘That would be six Aria,’ the old man answered while he adjusted his red-framed glasses. Loki handed him the money, but the man shook his head. ‘Six Aria each, pal.’    

‘What?! That is preposterous!’    

‘Sorry, kid, gotta make a living,’ the man smirked.   

Loki muttered crankily while he searched his wallet for six more Aria. ‘There,’ he mumbled as he handed the man the golden coins.    

‘Thank you for your patronage, sir.’ The man smirked as he counted the coins.  

Loki wanted to walk away, but he couldn’t help but stare at the old man’s bright red framed glasses, the white mustache which hardly showed the moody mouth underneath, but most noticeable of all was the man’s right hand, which seemed to have been replaced by some sort of cutting machinery.    

‘Have we ever met before, sir?’ the trickster asked as he slightly tilted his head, noticing how the old man’s face felt… familiar.    

‘I don’t think so, kid,’ the man replied hastily. ’After all, this is my first time in Asgard.’   

‘I see...’ Loki said as he still kept staring.    

‘Hey, move it, kid, you’re holding up the line,’ the man said as he waved Loki to move along.    

Loki looked behind him at the angry queue forming, ‘Yes, my apologies, I will leave you be...’    

‘Hey!’ the man called for Loki one last time, at which Loki turned around. ‘Your brother liking his new hair cut already?’ the man smirked.    

Loki laughed as he finally started to connect the dots and he briefly nodded to the man as a goodbye.     

‘Thuh,’ the moody salesman chuckled, ‘wonder what he would look like with short hair,’ he then shook his head. ‘Next!’     

‘Okay, so how...?’ Peter asked as he tried to figure out how to eat the fruit. He kept a close eye on Loki and noticed the god taking a bite out of his blue fruit like eating an apple. ‘Doesn’t it, hurt? It seems a bit spikey,’ Peter said hesitantly as he watched the god eat.    

‘Not at all,’ the trickster shrugged casually, but he laughed as he saw the way Peter awkwardly examined the fruit. ‘Where is your sense of adventure now, Spider-man?’    

Peter chuckled and closed his eyes tightly, ‘Yeah, you’re right,’ he said as he took a deep breath. ‘Okay, here goes,’ and he took a bite from the yellow fruit in his hand. His eyes then shot open as a rich flavor of what he could only describe as sweetened lemon filled his mouth, but what quite literally shocked him more was the tingling spark-like feeling that rushed through his mouth and down his spine as he swallowed. ‘Oh, shit, Lokes, I think I’m allergic to this stuff,’ Peter said in a panic.    

The raven laughed out loud at the teen’s confused reaction. ‘I think you will be just fine, Peter,’ Loki smiled, ‘You know what, try mine,’ he said, offering the teen his fruit.    

After a moment of doubt, Peter took the blue fruit out of the trickster’s hand and took another bite, smaller this time. As he started to chew, he first tasted something that he would describe as some sort of blueberry strangely mixed with mint, after which he felt a shivering chill running through his body. ‘Lokes, what are these things?’ he asked in confusion as he looked at the two pieces of fruit, more likely to throw them at the raven than to take another bite. ‘Is this one of your tricks?’     

‘Like I said, they are dragon fruits, Peter,’ Loki laughed, ‘Not only does each color carry a unique flavor, they also each have a unique sensation. I always pick blue, they are delicious and cool me down, Thor always choose yellow or red and-’    

‘And red is really spicy?’ Peter guessed.     

‘Indeed,’ Loki smiled. ‘The bright pink ones are-’    

At that moment, the raven stopped talking as he looked past Peter and turned around quickly.     

‘Lokes? What is it? What’s wrong?’ Peter asked, still weirdly twitching his face.    

‘Nothing, I just remembered that we are in a hurry. Take a left here. Now.’ the trickster said hurriedly as he wanted to pull Peter into an abandoned alley.    

‘Hey, handsome!’ a voice behind them shouted and Peter looked around, while Loki stared at the ground and sighed. At last, the trickster turned around, facing the Grandmaster of Sakaar, who stood a bit closer than he had figured.  

‘My favorite trickster!’ the Grandmaster stated loudly as he wrapped an arm around the raven’s waist and pulled him a little closer. ‘Where have you been, darling? It has been too long!’    

‘Good morning, Grandmaster,’ Loki started as he quickly smiled. ‘It is good to see you as well, how are things on Sakaar? Still hosting extravagant parties, I assume?’    

‘Oh you have no idea! I would have invited you if it wasn’t for the fact that you suddenly disappeared.’ The man smiled, though a clear hint of irritation twitched his face.   

‘Yes... Urgent family matters, you know how it goes,’ Loki said awkwardly.    

‘Hmm, yeah, sure, anyway, here we meet again! And just in time! I am throwing a marvelous party tonight, my friend, let me tell you all about it!’ the Grandmaster said as he pulled the trickster towards a coffee house by his hand.    

‘Alluring as this might be, I-’ Loki tried, but the man had already pushed him in one of the chairs on the sun-covered terrace.    

‘Oh, you are not going to say no to me, hot stuff,’ the Grandmaster smiled, ‘I know you are one of those adorable people who are just too polite to say no, I love that about you,’ he said as he sat down next to the god, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the bright sun warming his skin.    

Peter stared at the two for a second, but most of all at the extravagant man. He looked at the bright blue stripe that started at the man’s bottom lip and continued down his chin, the color of it being the same as the man’s painted finger nails, which happened to match perfectly with the bright red, gold and blue of his clothing. ‘Uhm, Lokes?’ Peter asked as he walked towards the two.    

‘Yes, waiter!’ the Grandmaster said with a big smile and he turned to Loki for a moment with a sassy grin, ‘Are you this famous everywhere in Asgard, my prince?’ Then he turned back to Peter again, ‘Two glasses of red wine, please. Thank you.’    

‘But I’m not...’ Peter started, but the man interrupted him. 

‘Of course you aren’t, sweetcakes, now run along and get us some wine, please.’     

‘Sir, I’m not...’ Peter tried again, but the Grandmaster was already talking to Loki, who was signaling as smoothly as possible to the teen that he should get him out of this conversation.    

‘Okay, so, hear this,’ the Grandmaster said as he shoved his chair against that of the trickster. ‘Apparently that horrible Lord of Thunder stole my incredible Champion and fled using my amazing spaceship! You know, the one with all the fireworks and the orgies and such?’    

‘Yes, I, I know which one you speak of...’ Loki mumbled as his cheeks turned red.    

‘Yeah, it’s a real bummer, I really liked that ship. It had my awesome mixtape still in it and everything,’ the Grandmaster said in a whiney voice and he sighed, but he smiled as he looked at the trickster again. ‘Do I detect a slight blush on that perfect porcelain skin of yours, doll?’    

‘It must be the sun,’ Loki quickly stated, his blush only increasing.    

‘Yeah, keep telling yourself that, handsome,’ the Grandmaster laughed.     

‘Sir?’ Peter asked as politely as he could, although he was really close to punching the guy. The Grandmaster looked at him with a smile but was confused when he did not spot a bottle of wine or a pair of glasses.    

‘Uh, red wine? Two? Shoo, go, sheesh,’ he said with a wave of his hand and he turned to Loki again, ‘They must be short on good staff, what do you say?’ he smiled while placing his hand on that of the god’s, ‘You know, I had this amazing dream about executing someone, I know, I'm terrible, now I was really thinking on doing that instead of coming to Asgard, but I’m so glad I didn’t. You should come back with me to Sakaar, darling, I’ll make sure to keep you... _entertained_ ,’ at which the man meaningfully moved his eyebrows, which caused Peter to look at the two in the exact same way as Thor had done when he was tied up in his chair and first encountered the two on Sakaar, this scene giving Loki a feeling of déjà vu.     

‘I do not doubt that,’ Loki managed to smile though his entire body seemed to freeze. He then turned his attention to Peter, who was staring at the two with a more than puzzled expression, ‘Oh, please, Grandmaster, allow me to introduce, this is my friend Peter Parker,’ Loki quickly said after he found his voice again, pulling Peter closer to the table, which caused the teen to crash into it slightly. ‘He is from Midgard.’    

‘The waiter is a friend of yours?’ the Grandmaster asked surprised. ‘What a versatile circle of friends you must have, darling!’    

‘I’m not a waiter,’ Peter said annoyed, wondering what ticked him off more, the way the man was speaking to him or the way the man was speaking to his friend. He guessed it was more of the second since his irritation only grew stronger as he saw the Grandmaster’s hand resting on that of the raven, his fingers moving slowly to intertwine with those of the god.    

‘Of course not, sweetheart,’ The Grandmaster commented, merely casting a brief glance at Peter before returning to Loki. ‘Now, Lokes, if you really want, you can bring your friend, uh, Paul was it? I suppose you could bring him over to the party tonight, but my parties aren’t really for minors, wouldn’t you agree?’ But before Loki could say anything, the Grandmaster shook his head and turned his attention back to Peter, ‘No, no, I’m sorry, young friend, but don’t worry, hot stuff over here is in good hands, really. I could set up a kiddy table in the backyard though, if you really don’t want to leave him? Maybe you could wait tables there!’    

Peter looked at the man in absolute astonishment, blinking his eyes a couple of times. He then looked at the trickster, waiting for him to make one of his iconic witty remarks towards the Grandmaster, but, much to Peter’s surprise and confusion, Loki stayed completely quiet, even allowing the man’s fingers to intertwine with his own without any form of protest.  

‘I am _not_ a waiter,’ Peter hissed, his fists clenched as he forced a smile on his face.    

‘Ah, I see...’ the Grandmaster said with a smile. ‘More of a butler, ‘ey?’     

‘No, sir! I do nothing related to serving people food or drinks or waiting their tables!’    

‘Oh don’t worry, there is nothing to be ashamed of, little one! Except perhaps that you’re not old enough to be officially employed. Where did you find him again, Lokes?’     

‘Midgard,’ was the only reply he got from the trickster.    

‘Hm, haven’t been there yet. Maybe I should visit some time.’ The Grandmaster looked Peter up and down, ‘Though I hope most waiters will be politer than this one. Hm, maybe I won’t go to Earth after all.’    

‘I don’t think _anyone_ on Earth would mind that, sir,’ Peter tried to smile though his expression clearly showed his anger. ‘Lokes and I will be happy to go back to New York without you, just the two of us.’    

At this, the Grandmaster looked at the trickster with a bright smile. ‘New York, huh? So that’s where you’ve been hiding?’     

Loki looked at Peter with a poisonous glare before looking at the Grandmaster with as much of a smile as he could muster. ‘Hiding, Grandmaster? I would rather choose the term “residing”. More neutral, do you not agree?’    

‘Of course, of course,’ the man laughed, ‘Well, listen, you just make sure you get that nice ass of yours at my party tonight, okay?’ the Grandmaster said as he held on to the god’s hand a little tighter and he winked. ‘What do you say, stud?’    

‘Grandmaster, I...’ Loki started as the remark made his stomach turn, but at that moment, Peter put his fist on the table, causing both men to look at him.     

‘He has plans, Grandmaster,’ the teen said determent, looking at the Grandmaster with a challenging glare.    

‘Okay, where’s your boss, baby boy? I’m going to get your ass fired this instant,’ the Grandmaster sighed, but Loki quickly got up and stood next to Peter.    

‘I ask your forgiveness for my friend’s ill-mannered behavior,’ Loki said as he placed a hand on the teen’s mouth to keep him from saying anything else.     

‘Excuse me?!’ Peter shouted, his brows raised in disbelief after he had pushed away the god’s hand, ‘Lokes, h-’    

‘But we really do have plans,’ Loki quickly stated, interrupting the teen and stepping on his foot to make sure he would stay out of the conversation.    

The Grandmaster looked at the two while biting his lip and sighed. ‘Fine, some other time then. But I’m sure we’ll meet again, won’t we, darling?’ he said with a smirk as he kept a keen eye on Loki. He then stood up to stand in front of the god, their bodies only separated by a few inches of warm, Summer air, his face hovering closely to that of the raven as his smirk turned into a grin. ‘After all, I know where you live now,’ he added in a sultry voice, causing the god to visibly shiver.   

‘Yes, terrific, some other time, goodbye,’ Loki said quickly as he pushed Peter, who was still grumbling curses about his painful foot, towards the alley he had chosen for his original escape plan.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for this chapter!!! Can you guess who the moody salesman was selling Loki the fruit??  
> Also, THE FREAKING GRANDMASTER! I loved that guy in Thor Ragnarok so Madame_Edna_Capeless_Authoress and I made sure he would be part of this story!
> 
> And now, for the facts of today! Please put your hands together for the amazing, the brilliant, the sexy, the grand Grandmaster of Sakaar!
> 
> En Dwi Gast - The Grandmaster
> 
> The Grandmaster is not alone. 
> 
> Not related by blood but by age, the Grandmaster can call himself brother of ten different siblings! These ten different beings being; the Trader, the Runner, the Possessor, the Obliterator, the Gardener, the Caregiver, the Astronomer, the Contemplator, the Champion, and, last but definitely not least; The Collector. That’s right! Starring in Guardians of the Galaxy, the Collector (real name: Taneleer Tivan) and the Grandmaster are brothers. (please re-watch these movies and notice how they both have a blue stripe from their lip to their chin!) Again, these eleven characters are not blood related, but they do refer to one another as sisters and brothers considering they know each other for over billions of years. 
> 
>  
> 
> The Grandmaster is billions of years old.
> 
> ‘Time works real different around these parts. On any other world, I would be like millions of years old, but here on Sakaar…’ 
> 
> Who could forget this glorious moment during the Thor Ragnarok movie? How the Grandmaster raised his brows at Loki, how Loki on his turn looked at Thor and how Thor raised a highly confused brow at the both of them. It made me laugh so hard I had to pause the movie. Anyway, this is the only information the movie gives on the Grandmaster’s age. However, according to the comics, he is billions of years old, even holding a part of the power that created the big bang. The Grandmaster and his siblings cannot die from old age, nor deceases. 
> 
> Holder of the Mind Stone
> 
> In the comics, the Grandmaster was the holder of the Mind Stone (sorry Vision!) thus making Thanos come to him in order to collect the last infinity stone. Thanos challenged the Grandmaster to a game, claiming the stone as his prize. Naturally, he Grandmaster excepts the challenge, claiming the other five infinity stones which Thanos already possessed as his prize were he to win.
> 
> Of course, the Grandmaster cheats, making sure Thanos would lose. However, as he wanted to claim his prize, Thanos merely laughed, telling the Grandmaster he was only challenging him to provide him with false hope. Using the other five infinity stones in his possession, Thanos kills the Grandmaster, thus taking the Mind Stone for himself. 
> 
>  
> 
> And that's it for this chapter lovely people!  
> Please let us know if you liked it in the comments below!
> 
> ps. I uploaded a quick sketch of Peter's asgardian tunic on deviant art for those of you who are interested in it :)   
> Just go to deviant art and search for Missboaboa, you'll find it there :D


	18. The girl next door

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone and welcome back, 
> 
> So first of all, so sorry for the late update!!! 
> 
> I had a very VERY busy week soooo... Don't worry! It's not like we're giving up on this fic! (on the contrariety!!! We've got like... a 100 more pages written XD) It's just that I've been really busy lately...
> 
> Anyway, without further ado, Please enjoy chapter 18: The girl next door...
> 
> Loki and Peter just escaped the more than awkward conversation with the grandmaster and escaped into a dark alley, let's see how this continues!

_'I_ have to watch _my_ manners?!’ Peter asked in disbelief as the two now stood in a dark alley. ‘Lokes, let me go back and teach that guy some manners! Let’s see how he likes _that_ in a waiter!’    

‘I know, I know, now hush,’ Loki said, absentmindedly signaling the teen to keep his voice down. The raven stood on the corner of the alley, keeping a close eye on the Grandmaster until he was completely out of his sight. He then finally allowed himself to relax a little, after which he took a deep breath, ‘Okay, let’s continue, the bookshop is not too far from here.’    

‘Wha-?’ Peter half uttered, ‘Lokes, who was that guy?! Why was he so...! So _weird_ with you?’   

‘That is a mystery, Peter, even to me,’ Loki said a little timidly, ‘Let’s just forget about it.’    

‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’ Peter said aghast, but as he saw the trickster’s nervous eyes, he frowned. ‘Loki, how _did_ you get to know him, exactly?’  

‘The Grandmaster is the ruler of Sakaar and I just happened to strand there by my unfortunate fate...’ Loki sighed, his fingers nervously fiddling as he continued, ‘he has a fascination with gaming and enjoys manipulating those he deems as lesser life-forms in the Contest of Champions. I merely pretended to be his friend to improve my own situation there. That is all.’    

‘Does he know you _pretended_ to be... a friend?’    

‘I do not know!’ Loki hissed, still nervously looking around. ‘I do not know...’    

‘’Cause it doesn't really seem like he sees you as “just a friend”, Lokes,’ Peter said hesitantly, ‘Or he interprets that word a little differently than we do...’  

Loki looked at the teen and let out a sigh, ‘I, I do not know what is going through that man’s mind Peter, I am just really glad to never have been alone with him, not for long at least... and I am relieved to be out of that conversation...’    

‘... If I wasn’t here to pull you away from that creep,’ Peter started after a short silence, ‘Would you have gone to Sakaar with him?’     

Loki looked at the teen with a bit of a pitiful smile, ‘You really do know how to make me feel incredibly stupid, Peter, for again I will have to answer you by telling you that I do not know.’ He sighed and looked around him, lost for words for a moment. ‘I hope not, in any case.’    

‘I’m sorry... But what if we run into him again?’    

‘We will talk our way out of it, again,’ Loki said determinately as he tried to regain his composure. He cursed quietly as his hands remained to softly tremble.    

‘Or I teach him some manners.’ Peter suddenly nodded in determination, his voice now stronger. ‘Maybe I’ll actually bring him that wine and poison it.’    

‘That sounds like something I would consider,’ Loki chuckled, ‘I like this dark side of you, Peter, though it does not really suit you. And do not tell Anthony nor Steven I said so. They will say I have a bad influence on you.’    

‘True,’ Peter grinned, ‘I’ll make it a fair fight then, well, if you’ll allow me to, of course.’    

‘Let’s just try to forget it,’ Loki said as he looked at the teen with a careful smile.   

‘Yeah, sure, whatever,’ Peter mumbled. ‘But if I see that guy near you again, he’s going to leave this place with a black eye. And I don’t mean like that crazy make-up he wears!’ he said sternly as he crossed his arms.    

At this, Loki couldn’t help but chuckle, though the still remaining nerves in his body made his voice slightly unstable. ‘Thank you, Peter,’ he said as he stood a little closer to teen, wanting to let his head rest on his shoulder and just stand close to him, but he quickly decided not to and awkwardly placed a softly trembling hand on Peter’s shoulder, ‘You are a very good friend indeed, but I will be able to hold my own,’ he said as he forced on a brave smile.  

'…Hey, Lokes, you okay?’ Peter softly mumbled in surprise as he finally noticed the god’s lurking insecurity. He gently held on to the raven’s pale hands and leaned against the trickster, careful not to look him in the eye as he thought all of this through. ‘I’ve got you, okay? I’ll always be here for you.’    

‘Yes, well,’ Loki started as he turned his head, his eyes still nervously darting back and forth.     

‘Hey,’ Peter spoke calmly to gain the god’s attention once more. As he noticed this wasn’t working, he gently took hold of Loki’s chin between his thumb and index finger, making sure the raven would look him straight in his warm, brown eyes, ‘I won’t leave you, Loki. I will stay with you no matter what. I promise,’ he said as he started to wonder what could have possibly happened between his friend and the Grandmaster that made him so on edge.    

The Asgardian god finally seemed to relax as his quivering emerald eyes gazed into those of the teen. Loki’s shoulders dropped slowly as Peter wrapped his arms around his waist, holding him close.     

‘Thank you, Peter...’ Loki finally managed to whisper as he rested his head on Peter’s head for a moment. He then took a deep breath and looked at his fellow Avenger. ‘Now, let’s go to the bookstore and be done with this, agreed?’ he said as he slowly let go of the teen, though he still held on to one of Peter’s hands with just the tip of his fingers.    

‘Agreed,’ Peter nodded with a caring smile.    

Loki guided the teen through the crowded markets, his hand hovering over Peter’s, sometimes gently touching his skin with his fingertips when they had to turn a corner. Peter looked around as he eventually held on tightly to the trickster’s hand in order not to lose him. He didn’t know if it was possible, but the streets seemed even busier than before. After they left the busy market and strolled through some peaceful streets for about fifteen minutes, Peter looked at his hand as his fingers were still intertwined with those of the god. He smiled gently as he felt the warmth coming from the palm of the trickster’s hand, a warm and loving feeling washing over him like a wave on a midsummer ocean.  

 

*****

 

‘There it is,’ Loki said as he gestured to a little shop with a sign that read “Tales from the Nine Realms”.    

‘Why do I want to describe every store we come across today as “cute”?’ Peter asked as he stared at the old building, watching how bright colored flowers decorated the front of the shop, standing proudly in the afternoon sun.     

‘It’s probably like the word “picturesque”,’ Loki chuckled, ’You simply mean that you have never seen it before and you don’t know what else to say.’  

‘No, that’s not it, it’s _actually_ cute, or sweet, or cozy, or old-fashioned, or...’    

‘Yes, now get inside _or_ we will be standing here until nightfall,’ the trickster laughed as he allowed the teen to go into the store first, causing a bell to ring softly as the door opened.  

As the doorbell rang through the shop, Peter stared with wide eyes at the huge stacks of books that lay scattered over tables, nonchalantly put there, and the smell of ancient paper filled his nostrils.     

'Good day, my lord! Can I help you?’ a female voice asked and Peter saw a young woman behind the counter. With a kind smile she brushed some flaming red curly locks from her face, revealing a pair of deep-brown eyes that seemed to investigate him as he watched her. Her blue dress was Asgardian, but more casual than many of the clothes he had seen in the street. In fact, it made him feel hopelessly overdressed.    

‘Good afternoon, Lady Shopkeeper,’ Loki said with a chuckle as he followed the teen, ‘It has been a while.’   

The girl’s eyes grew wide and to Peter it seemed as if she flew over the counter and through the bookstore into the trickster’s arms before he could even blink.     

‘Loki!’ she nearly screamed in the god’s ear as she held him in her arms, but she then stood back and slapped him on the shoulder, ‘You dunce! Where have you been all this time?! Why were you gone for so long?! What happened?!’      

‘Many things happened since we last met,’ Loki said with a smile, raising his arms in surrender. ’But you do not seem to have changed at all.’    

‘Flattery will not save you from my fury, Loki,’ she laughed, ‘I will make you read so many books that you will beg for mercy!’ she said as she excitedly hugged the trickster again and nearly squeezed the breath out of his lungs before releasing him. She looked at the god with her hands in front of her mouth as if witnessing a miracle, for she had not seen the raven ever since he was brought back to Asgard after his attempt to rule over Earth.     

‘Do you honestly believe you can punish me with reading?’ Loki laughed as he placed a hand on her shoulder, ‘Truly, I thought you knew me better than that, Asta.’    

‘Oh, like that time we went into the forests in search of eck-nuts and when we finally found some, you would not try them because you thought you would not like them?’     

‘Asta, that was over 1500 years ago, I do thi-’    

‘AND,’ Asta continued with a smirk. ‘Who pushed you to try them anyway? _Knowing_ _you would like them_? Because she happened to know you so well?’    

‘Alright, alright, you did,’ Loki laughed, ‘That story just does not get old now, does it?’    

‘Of course not, it was the time we first held hands,’ Asta smiled.   

‘Only because you feared that caterpillar,’ Loki smirked.    

‘Well excuse me for fearing an insect whose jaws were big enough to crush our skulls, my brave prince,’ Asta laughed.  

‘You, you two held hands?’ Peter dared to ask as he finally managed to intervene, ‘Like, we-are-just-friends-hands, or...?’    

‘I indeed share my friend’s skepticism on that particular event, Asta,’ Loki smirked as he took a stand next to Peter and he crossed his arms. The teen looked at the raven god and, although he hated himself for doing so, let out a soft sigh in relief. ‘I remember it going a little differently,’ Loki smirked, ‘Something more like this.’ He then took a big step forward, sweeping the redhaired girl off her feet and holding her tightly against his body.    

‘LOKI!’ Asta screamed at the god while laughing, ‘Put me down, you ridiculous fool! Put me down!’ she managed to shout as she tried to push the trickster away.    

‘Oh my dearest, bravest prince!’ Loki said dramatically as he mimicked her voice perfectly with the use of his Seiðr, ‘Please save me from nature’s monstrosities!’ he laughed.    

‘LOKI! BY ODIN’S BEARD, LET ME GO!’ Asta shouted in laughter again as Loki raised her even higher.    

‘Did I save you?’ Loki asked calmly.    

‘This is unacceptable, put me down! Now!’ Peter heard the girl scream at his friend though, to him, it was pretty obvious that she enjoyed the game the trickster was playing with her.    

‘You did not answer me,’ Loki smirked as he jumped on the counter, the girl still in his arms, holding her up even higher, ‘Did I save you?’    

‘YES! YES! YOU SAVED ME!’ Asta admitted, tears springing to her eyes from laughter, ‘Will you now please let go of me?!’     

‘But of course,’ Loki smiled gently, jumping from the counter, still holding her in his arms.    

'I do not know what frightens me more,’ Asta laughed as Loki put her down on her feet again, ‘The giant caterpillars or your imitation of me,' she said as she pushed the trickster softly away from her.   

As the two kept laughing, Peter gave up on understanding the conversation as he started to notice this really was an inside joke between the two Asgardians. Not wanting to feel left out again, he coughed softly as he waited for his friend to introduce him. ‘Uhm, Lokes?’     

‘Oh, my apologies, Peter,’ Loki smiled, ‘Asta, this is Peter Parker, he is a very dear friend of mine from Midgard. And this whirlwind that calls herself a shopkeeper, Peter, is Lady Asta Grímsdóttir.’    

‘Pleasure to meet you, Parkerson,’ Asta smiled as she shook his hand with a gentle bow. ‘So, what brings you two all the way from Midgard to my bookshop?’    

‘Well,’ Loki started as he retrieved a pile of books from his bag, ‘I came to return the books I borrowed last time I was here. I know I am hopelessly late, but I still hope you will take them back from me, without too much of a fine.’    

‘Borrowed?’ Asta asked surprised as she looked at the books. ‘Loki, I am quite certain you bought these books.’    

‘No, Asta, you are mistaken, I borrowed them.’    

‘I am never mistaken when it concerns books, Loki, and you bought these!’    

‘... Borrowed.’   

‘Bought and that’s final,’ Asta said as she was hardly able to keep herself from laughing.    

Loki stared at the girl for a moment as he started to realize that she was right, making this entire trip completely unnecessary, ‘Well, then I _give_ them to you.’ He said determinately.  

‘Then I give them back.’ The girl countered.  

Loki sighed. ‘Alright! I will keep them!’   

‘Good,’ Asta smirked. ‘Now, I have collected some new books and I am certain you will love them, come with me!’ She quickly took the stack of books from Loki’s hands, placed them on a table and pulled him to a bookcase near the windows.    

‘Okay,’ Loki said as he stared at the seemingly chaotic mess, ‘Which one is it?’    

‘All of them,’ Asta smiled, ‘Loki, I have not seen you in many years, so I just kept collecting books which I thought you would like just in case you... you ever came back,’ she said, a grateful smile on her face.    

Loki looked at her in surprise. ‘Asta, certainly you have heard at least some of what has happened... You still expected me to come back to Asgard? After everything I have done?’    

‘Well, since we are friends, and, well, this _is_ your home, I hoped you would...’ she said as she fumbled a little with the sleeve of her dress, after which she looked the raven in his brilliant green eyes and smiled, ‘And I was right, here you are, so you better get started on that bookcase!’    

Before Loki could say anything else, Asta walked over to Peter. ‘So, Peter, what kind of books do you enjoy reading?’   

‘Uh, I don’t know, I read some comics usually, but I don’t expect you to have any of those here...’ Peter said as he looked past the girl, watching how his friend was already completely absorbed in what he could only describe as his natural habitat.    

‘You must be making jest! Of course I have some! Which is your favorite?’ Asta asked enthusiastically as she pulled the teen towards one of the bookshelves at the back of the store. ‘Let’s see, I have got the latest issue of “Adventures of Nilfheim”. Oh! You might enjoy this one, it is one of my personal favorites,’ she said as she pulled another comic from the shelves, ‘”Lady Enchantress,” it is a great story and the artwork is just stunning!’ after which she whispered very softly, ‘and Lady Enchantress was Loki’s first crush.’ She giggled and continued, ‘Or maybe you would like this, it’s one of Thor’s favorites,’ she finally said, holding up a copy of a work called “The Revengers.”    

'I don’t really know any of those, but that’s alright. I’ll just look around some more, if that’s okay with you?’ Peter asked with an encouraging smile, only now noticing how the girl was staring disappointedly from her comic book section to him.    

Asta nodded, a smile reappearing on her face. ‘Feel free to look around, Peter. Let me know if you have any questions.’    

‘Alright,’ Loki sighed with a smile as he held on to a pile of books in all forms and sizes, ‘If you two will excuse me, I believe I have some reading to do and I am sorry, but I really need some peace and quiet to do that properly.’    

‘If you want, you could use my living room upstairs,’ Asta offered kindly. ‘I have got some work to do in the store and I am quite certain you would be in my way, constantly,’ she remarked with a sassy smirk.     

‘Oh, yes, by all means, send your best friend and best costumer away, that is just terrific, Asta.’ Loki spoke sarcastically, as he rolled his eyes with a chuckle.  

‘So… what should I do?’ Peter asked a little hopelessly.      

‘Well, you could get some books and join Loki upstairs or I could show you around the shop? Am I right in my presumption that you are not acquainted with Asgardian literature?’ Asta tried awkwardly, but as she saw the teen nodding, she grew more confident and took him by the arm. ‘This way, Peter.’  

‘Okay, good luck you two,’ Loki said with a smile, walking up the creaking, narrow stairs.    

As the two were now alone in the shop, Asta proudly showed Peter her entire collection of books, but she made it a fast tour.    

‘Alright, I do not mean to bore you any further with my books,’ The girl chuckled as she saw Peter gazing around and occasionally yawning, completely lost as he tried to read all the titles on the book covers around him.    

‘Bored?’ he asked as he snapped out of his daydreaming, ‘I’m not bored, really, I just... Books aren’t my number one interest. I don’t hate them or anything, I just don’t like them as much as you seem to do. Or Lokes, for that matter.’    

Peter then let his eye fall on a peculiarly, small, bright blue book which was covered in some dust. He pulled it out, frowning a little as he read the graceful golden letters spelling: “ _The Grand Autobiography of the Grandmaster of Sakaar._ ” Peter glared at the cover as it showed a picture of the extravagant man sitting in a golden chair, a narcissistic grin on his face, although he presumed that was just his resting face.    

‘I would not have thought you would be interested in politics, Peter,’ Asta said as she leaned over the teen’s shoulder to look at the book. ‘The Grandmaster is a... colorful person, or so I have heard. He is the ruler of a small planet called Sakaar and rumor has it that he enslaves people from all Nine Realms as he pleases,’ Asta said in a softer voice, as if the man was standing in the same room as they were.    

‘Enslave?’ Peter repeated with a worried frown as he thought back to Loki’s strange behavior when they had met the man on the great market. ‘And... what exactly does he do with those slaves?’ he hardly dared to ask but his curiosity got the better of him.    

‘I do not know. Unfortunately, I am not able to tell you anything more than this. I still have to read this book. However,’ she said as she stared at the man on the cover, ‘How should I put this. There is just something about him that makes me feel a little... reluctant, do you understand what I mean?’    

‘Oh, I do,’ Peter chuckled a little. ‘He really is one weird guy.’  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for our final OC. Asta Grímsdóttir is the last of three (counting both Valerie and Stian as original characters.)  
> Now here is the story about this young book lover and Loki's childhood friend;
> 
> After serving in the Royal Asgardian Library for several years with her father, Asta opened a bookshop on the outskirts of the glorious city in the house that used to be the home of her parents and herself, but which seemed to spacious for her alone now that her father and mother have passed away. She named the shop 'The Nine Realms' because of the universal supply of books, magazines and other media that she gathered, ready to bring the knowledge and adventures from different realms to her beloved readers.
> 
> Besides her love for books, Asta cares much for her garden. She has gathered flowers, plants, and herbs from different realms and studies botany in her spare time.
> 
> How Loki and Asta met:  
> Once, when Loki roamed the great library of the palace as a child, looking for a particular book, he found it landing right in front of his feet. When he looked up, he noticed a startled girl sitting on a high bookshelf. As she came down a ladder to apologize and reclaim the book, they introduced themselves, spending much time playing, reading, and talking in the years that followed. With her amazing knowledge on botany, Asta used to help Loki gather plants and herbs to use for his magic, for which they spend hours in the forests together. 
> 
> Well, that's the final OC we created, next facts will be about Marvel characters :D. Hope you liked her, let's see how this turns out for our trickster, Peter and Asta!  
> See you in two days! (hopefully! I'll do my best! :D)


	19. Uncertain futures

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone and welcome back!
> 
> I don't really have a lot to say this time so hey! Here you all go!  
> Chapter 19; Uncertain futures.

Loki sat upstairs in the small living room above the shop, trying to read a book on early Seiðr, but he could not bring up the concentration to do so. However, he decided to stay upstairs for a little while longer and walked around, inspecting the upper floor without making a sound.     

He remembered these rooms, they had not changed since the last time he had roamed them. Memories of his childhood days flooded his mind, how Asta’s father would always let him stay for dinner if the Allfather allowed for it, and he would tell them a story before sending Asta to bed and before Loki was picked up by the guards of the palace. He remembered one evening in particular. He was allowed to spend the night in this house for a heavy storm had broken loose. How Asta, who was a young teen at the time, had walked into his room in the middle of the night, telling him that the weather frightened her. How she had fallen asleep in his arms, her face hardly visible under her manes of red curls. How he had stared at her until she fell asleep.    

Now he wondered what life would have been like had he stayed on Asgard. If nothing of the bad things had happened, if mischief was not in his nature, if Odin was his real father, but most of all, if he was an actual Asgardian instead of a disguised Frost Giant, robbed of a past and a future among his kin. A painful smile then slightly curled his lips as he realized once again that even _if_ Odin would have left him in Jotunheim, he would have come to die anyway. If all of this was different, if all of his life would just be normal, would he now be sleeping in the same bed, with the same woman he had come to cherish so much?     

He shook his head to rid himself of these thoughts. There was a time that he would have given anything to be with Asta, but they had changed, the both of them. The world had changed around them, too.     

He sighed happily as he saw a little picture of her as a child, hanging in the corner of the bedroom that once belonged to her parents. He was glad to have her for a friend. To him, she was still that girl that bossed him around, yet listened to him when there was something troubling his mind. The girl who showed him how to disappear into worlds made of ink, paper, and imagination. The person who taught him what friendship could be like. A melancholic smile than colored his face as he decided to sit back into the chair he was trying to read from. ‘Norns, you are starting to sound like an old fool, Loki,’ he spoke to himself and sighed as he turned back to his book again.   

‘So,’ Peter said as he looked at some books, trying to read the covers, but noticing that most of them were in languages he could not read, ‘You and Lokes really seem to know each other quite well, huh?’ he sat down on a chair, pretending to admire the towering bookshelves as each cover seemed to glisten in the afternoon sun.    

‘Well, you could say that, yes,’ Asta smiled absentmindedly as she picked some books from the floor, carefully putting them back on their rightful place on the shelves.    

‘So,’ Peter continued carefully with a bit of a nervous tapping of his foot. ‘Did he have, you know, girlfriends when he lived in Asgard? Or boyfriends, for that matter. I mean, I assume you knew he’s bi, right?’    

‘Bi?’ Asta asked a little surprised as she stopped stacking books.   

‘Bisexual,’ Peter explained awkwardly. ‘You know, liking both men and women...’    

‘Oh, yes, I have known that for a while,’ Asta smiled as she placed the last few books on their rightful place on a shelve. ‘I think he figured that out quite early, but we did not speak of it that often.’    

‘What made him figure it out?’ Peter asked, his curiosity resonating through his sentence more obviously than he had intended.    

Asta looked up and chuckled. ‘Who knows?’ she said as she shrugged, ‘Now I have a question for you, Peter. I mean, I assume you have spent quite some time with Loki on Midgard. So, do you know if... if there is anyone special in his life? You know, girlfriend, or boyfriend, or some sort of love interest?’ she ventured to ask as a red blush colored her lightly freckled cheeks.     

‘I, I, uhm...’ Peter started as he wondered how to explain the situation between the trickster and himself, but as he looked at her hopeful eyes, his jaw dropped somewhat and he blinked in disbelief. ‘Wait, do you... have feelings for him?’    

Asta stared at him for a second, before she shook her head violently. ‘No! Of course not, it is just...’ A quick smile formed on her face, but her shoulders dropped as she noticed the still questioning expression of the teen. ‘Okay, listen,’ she whispered as she sat down on her knees, pulling down as well. ‘Peter,’ she started, but she stopped as she heard some feet shuffling upstairs. As the noise died down again, she sighed. ‘Peter, can I tell you a secret?’    

‘I think I can guess what it is, so... Yeah, I suppose,’ Peter said hesitantly.      

‘You have got to be kidding me,’ Asta said a little desperately, ‘Is it truly that obvious...?’ She sighed and stared at the ground, swallowing away the lump in her throat that usually prevented her from talking about this. ‘Nevertheless, I have to tell someone. Peter, I have been waiting for Loki’s return for so long... When he was banished from Asgard, I had little hope that I would ever see him again. When people told me that my best friend had taken his own life, or that he had died in battle, I...’    

‘He did _what_?’ Peter asked with wide eyes as he felt his heart drop to his stomach. This could not be right, right? He must have misheard this, right? There is no way his fellow Avenger, his dearest, most treasured friend would even think of committing suicide! … Right...?    

‘I only heard about all this through rumors and whispers, Peter. I only know that it was somewhere on the Bifröst after he heard he was adopted, something about letting himself fall of the bridge, but I do not know the exact details myself…’ she then held on to the teen’s hands as she started to tremble softly. ‘Norns, I called myself his friend, and the very idea of losing him, over and over again,’ the girl stammered as she fought to finish her sentence.    

Peter wished to ask her more, but he looked at the young woman, who did not seem that much older than him, in pity as she released his hands and hid her face in them to keep him from seeing her tears. First, he did not know what to do, but eventually he softly took her hands in his own and looked at her. ‘Lokes has been through a lot and, well, he can be pretty hard to read sometimes...’ Peter said after swallowing down his nerves. ‘I don’t even think that Thor knows what he’s been through, let alone us...’ Through glistening eyes she stared at him in wonder, then she smiled and she wiped her tears away.    

‘Silly me,’ she merely managed to say.    

‘That’s not silly at all,’ Peter said with an encouraging smile. ‘Now, try to tell me what you wanted to say.’     

‘I love him, Peter,’ she whispered, smiling while a tear trickled down her cheek. ‘The days that I thought I had lost him were the darkest of my life. I never had the courage to tell him how I treasured him... I figured he would not care for a relationship with me, but I find now that it pains me more not to know whether we might have a future together or not... But how could I possibly tell him all this, Peter?’ She shook her head and gasped a few times before looking the teen in the eyes again. ‘What should I do?’    

‘W-well, you see, Lokes and I,’ Peter started hesitantly, ‘I mean, it’s… it’s nothing official or anything, however,’ but as the shivering brown eyes stared into his own, he could not tell her the truth and he eventually sighed. ‘Ask him... Be straight to the point and ask him how he feels. You most likely will have to tell him that he shouldn’t lie, though. He’s been working on it but it... It’s a habit that he just can’t seem to get rid of that easily...’ he added with a slight smile.    

The young woman looked into his eyes and nodded slowly. ‘That is all I can do, is it not?’    

‘You have to face your feelings and tell him what they are,’ Peter said, almost tearing up himself as it felt like he was violently ripping his own heart in half. He wondered where it was that he found these words, or even more so, why he wasn’t listening to them himself. Maybe, he thought, it was because his own emotions, his own feelings towards the god, weren’t even close to being as certain and clear as Asta’s. ‘One way or another...’ Peter continued with a shivering sigh, ‘at least you will know where you stand.’      

‘You are right… Thank you, Peter of Midgard,’ Asta said with a smile as she pressed his hands softly. ‘Norns, I cannot recall that I have ever been this nervous.’ She then nodded, ‘I think I have an idea on how to tell him how I feel.’    

‘Tell me,’ Peter said, managing a smile as he felt his own heart beating softer and softer in his chest with every breath he took like a dying fire.    

‘I will ask him to accompany me on a walk through the woods. We used to roam there when we were children, it feels familiar. I will ask him there.’    

Peter looked her in the eye and suddenly made up his mind. He would grant this girl the happiness she had longed for for centuries. He saw what Loki had seen in her and he saw his friend through her eyes. They could be happy together throughout their lives. They had shared a past, a culture, a home, and if not for all of that, they at least had the same lifespan. All things of which Peter knew he would never share with Loki. He sighed and pressed her hands firmly, looking her in the eye as he smiled melancholically. ‘Go for it.’    

‘Oh, Peter, without you-’ Asta said emotionally, clasping the teen in her arms and hugging him tightly. ‘I could never have done this without you.’ She then stood up and she helped her new friend rise from the floor. ‘I will send Loki downstairs and dress more appropriately. Please do not tell him, about any of this... Pretend nothing happened. Can you do that?’    

Peter gulped and nodded. ‘Yeah, sure, no problem.’    

‘Thank you, my friend!’ she said with a bright smile and she walked to the staircase, first clearing her throat before shouting upstairs. ‘Loki?’    

'What is it?’    

‘Can you come downstairs for a moment?’     

As the raven walked down the stairs, Asta tried her best to look her collected self, although she knew she hardly ever was collected to begin with. When Loki stood on the last step of the staircase, he stopped and looked at his two friends, who seemed highly suspicious although he could not really tell why. ‘Anything the matter?’ he asked eventually as neither of them said anything.   

‘Nothing!’ Asta said, a bit louder than she had imagined. ‘I was just wondering... Would you like to go for a walk with me? I figured we could stroll about the woods a little, just like in the old days, you know?’ She turned a little red as her voice almost faded into a whisper, the nerves clenching her throat.     

‘Uh, sure, that would be great,’ Loki said, watching Asta with a hint of suspicion shimmering in his eyes, but he then suddenly turned to Peter, ‘If you do not mind, Peter. I seem to remember you like taking walks outdoors, but I am not quite certain. You could join us, if you would like? Asgard has outstanding forests and its creatures are truly unique.’    

‘Oh, no, I’ll just stay here,’ Peter said hastily, noticing Asta’s big eyes as the blush on her face grew worse.    

‘Are you certain? The woods are very beautiful,’ Loki friendly tried again, but his Midgardian friend resolutely shook his head.    

‘No, I’ve, uh... I have found this awesome book!’ Peter improvised as he took up a random book from the table next to him. ‘I’ve always wanted to read, uh, “The Encyclopedia of Asgardian Trees.” …No, sir, I better get started.’    

At that moment, Loki squinted his eyes and looked at Peter. ‘You are excited to read a book about trees?’    

_‘Asgardian_ trees!’ Peter added, trying to look enthusiastic.    

‘Right... And Asta, you...’    

‘I will change into something more outdoor-friendly,' Asta said as she sped up the stairs.    

‘But what you’re wearing _is_ outdoors-friendly!’ Loki shouted after her, a little confused as he tried to grasp what was going on.    

‘No, I cannot walk around in my work attire! What will the, uh, what if we run into anyone! Awkward!’ Asta shouted downstairs as she quickly pulled open her closet and started to undress, meanwhile scanning the wardrobe’s content.    

‘Yes, awkward,’ Loki mumbled, the gears in his head turning over one another at an increasing pace and he turned back to Peter. ‘You do not per chance have any idea what she is up to, do you?’    

‘Up to?’ Peter asked, trying to nonchalantly lean against a bookcase next to him, which caused him to nearly fall over. ‘Except _up_ the stairs, heh, no, no clue.’    

‘You do not think she is acting... peculiar?’ the trickster asked in disbelief.    

‘No, no, not at all,’ Peter said with something that was supposed to resemble a smile, but rather looked like an awkward deer in the headlights. As the god kept staring at him, Peter laughed. ‘Pfff, girls, am I right?’    

‘I suppose,’ Loki said, not able to suppress a smile. ‘So, you would not rather _see_ some Asgardian trees than read about them? Really, I could tell you a thing or two if you would come along,’ Loki tried again.    

‘Hm?’ Peter asked, blinking his eyes.   

‘Your book, about Asgardian trees? The forest is really lovely, Peter, I never thought you would prefer theory over practice.’    

‘Well, uh, _you_ do, don’t you? I mean, you told me that you often stayed inside, reading books, in fact, you still do that a lot, well, if I’m not dragging you to some party, of course, heh...’    

At that moment Peter felt that Loki was on to him as the trickster’s smile disappeared. The teen gulped as green eyes glared at him.  

‘What?’ Peter asked, slightly panicking.    

‘You told her about Meya, did you not?’ the god asked him as his face turned dark.    

‘What? NO! No, I didn’t, I swear,’ Peter said quickly, raising his hands in the air which made him drop the heavy book.    

‘Oh, you did!’ Loki sighed angerly as he facepalmed himself. ‘I should have known... How long was I gone?! Five minutes?’    

At that moment, the attention of the young men was drawn to the staircase, as two feet in soft leather ankle boots met their eye. Their gazes followed the long, dark-green dress upwards, meeting with Asta’s eyes, which seemed to sparkle even more as a silver necklace glimmered in the last rays of afternoon sunlight. The woman carefully averted their gazes when she met them so as not to turn red again. When no one said anything, Asta quickly brushed her long, curly locks behind her ears and shoulders, entwining her fingers afterwards as she waited for anyone to say anything.     

‘Asta...’ Loki said after a while.    

‘Yes?’ Asta asked shyly.    

‘You look stunning...’ the god managed to speak almost breathlessly.    

A smile appeared on Asta’s face, at which Loki could not help but blush a little. ‘Thank you,’ Asta replied, twirling a lock of stray hair around her fingers.    

The god then cleared his throat and shook his head, though he could not shake off the smile. ‘... But it is hardly more suitable for the outdoors.’ He shrugged.  

‘Oh,’ was Asta’s only reply and she looked at Peter in a panic, but as the teen looked just as panicky as she did, she straightened her back and looked at her friend with a smile. ‘I just wanted to know what you thought of this dress. I bought it with the intention to wear it to festivals and such, but I never was the graceful kind of girl. So, I would really value a friend’s opinion.’    

‘I see,’ Loki said with a smile. ‘I think you will have a hard time sending the men from your side in that attire. It looks truly beautiful on you.’    

‘Thank you, again,’ Asta said, unintentionally giggling somewhere amid her sentence and she quickly cleared her throat. ‘Shall we?’    

‘It would be my pleasure,’ Loki said, a gentle smile still playing around his lips as he offered her his arm.    

‘Please help yourself, Peter,’ Asta smiled kindly, but instead of taking Loki’s arm, she first hugged the teen. ‘Make yourself at home.’ Peter felt her trembling in his arms as she softly whispered, ‘And wish me luck.’    

‘Good luck…’ he whispered back, holding on to the girl just a bit longer. Perhaps because he wanted to reassure her, or himself, or he just did not want her to walk through that door, not with his friend, not with the news she was about to break to him. But he eventually let go and watched the god and the beautiful lady walk through the front door, their arms entwined.     

He found himself staring at the door long after it had closed, and he picked up the encyclopedia about trees and put it back in place, his head working extra hours to process what just happened. As Peter’s soft heartbeat was the only sound audible in the room right now, he walked around the store a little, suddenly wiping his hand over his cheek as he wondered why tears were escaping from his eyes.   

‘Silly,’ he thought with a faint chuckle, though he knew it was not silly at all. Aimlessly, he walked around, his only goal to keep himself from shedding another tear.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for today's chapter, now I'm afraid I've got some bad news :(  
> So, every once in a while, Madame_Edna_Capeless_Authoress and I meet up to go through everything we have written and give every chapter the final touch before posting them.  
> However, our next meet-up will be upcoming Friday (the 5th of October) so i'm afraid that, until then, we won't be able to post another chapter :(
> 
> But don't worry! We have written over a hundred pages and there is still much more to come!! It will just take a few days for the next chapter to be online... So we really hope you will stick around until then!   
> Anyway, that's it for this chapter! Please let us know what you think in a comment and we hope to see you again on Friday!


	20. A long-kept secret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone and welcome back again!  
> Yeeeeey! So today was a really fun day! First, we read through this chapter together... out loud... sorry neighbors!  
> ANYWAY! It's done now :D And here it is!  
> So hope you will enjoy!

‘It is truly amazing,’ Loki remarked, gazing at the canopies above their heads. Asta looked at him and wondered aloud what he meant. ‘The trees. They do not change. I mean, they grow, lose a branch and their leaves, but in the end, they will look exactly the same as when one left them a hundred years ago.’      

‘Much like us, I suppose,’ Asta chuckled, but as Loki now stared at her in wonder, she quickly gathered her words and directed them towards the trees. ‘We look the same as when we said goodbye last time... but many things have changed, have they not?’      

‘A great many things,’ Loki agreed with a sigh. ‘For better or for worse...’ As Asta’s look grew worried, he smiled and patted her hand, which was softly curled around his arm. ‘I am certain that we both have been through a lot since our last goodbye.’      

‘I suppose so...’ Asta sighed deeply, then she stopped walking and giggled.      

‘What is so amusing?' Loki asked with a grin, happy to see her loosen up a little.      

‘I just remembered... That crazy little vow we made, when we were kids?’      

‘The one not to take _everything_ you say serious after I had stabbed my brother by turning myself into a snake? Which, by the way, I still blame you for.’       

‘I said that as a joke! If I had known you would actually do it, I would have never suggested it!’ Asta laughed but then shook her head, ‘No, Loki, I meant another one.’      

‘You have to help me with this, we made many vows when we were little,’ Loki chuckled as he placed his hand on that of the girl’s, meanwhile deeply inhaling the forest air.     

‘The one about that if, and only _if_ , we would not be married by our 3000th birthday, we would marry one another.’ She stopped giggling and merely smiled melancholically. ‘That one.’      

‘That one,’ Loki nodded pensively, a similar smile spreading over his face. ‘Norns that one is quite old. How old were we when we vowed so? Ten? Anyway, I have been thinking about that one for quite some time.’ He then looked at his side where his sharp eyes spotted a bright green creature which would mostly represent a rabbit, though it was at least six times as big and had a long fluffy tail. ‘I have truly missed these woods,’ he smiled as he watched the creature skip away like a jumping mouse.       

‘You have?’ Asta asked, her eyes widening as she awaited his answer.      

‘Yes, I know Midgard has beautiful nature as well, but I hardly ever go there considering I now live in a concrete jungle...’      

‘No, Loki,’ Asta sighed and although she usually found the god’s voice soothing and calming, his words were now tearing her apart as they kept straying from the subject she tried to discuss, ‘About the, the marrying vow, did you really... think about it? I mean, was it not just some crazy vow, made by two children?’ she asked as casually as possible.    

‘Well, you might say it was silly, yes, but I do not think it was all that crazy,’ Loki said as he softly walked along, Asta following him like a ghost by his side, her face all white as she forgot to breathe. ‘I mean, it is a nice safety net, you know, to keep us from ending up all alone and depressed.’ Loki continued with a chuckle. ‘Plus, I do believe you and I are quite alike. I think we would make a steady couple.’   

He then noticed her silence and he saw the worried look on her face. ‘Are you alright, Asta?’ he asked, now standing in front of her, holding on to her shoulders, slightly shaking her as she still did not respond.       

‘I... You... You mean, that if someone asked you... if you would marry me... You would say...’ she stammered in confusion.      

‘As I told you, it is not such a crazy idea, even though it was a vow we made as children.’ Loki laughed, relieved to see her breathe again, ‘I mean, I suppose I would say yes. I think I would marry you...’ As he gazed deep into her eyes, suddenly noticing her shallow breathing, he tilted his head and looked at her with a puzzled smile, trying to understand what was going on inside the woman’s head. ‘Would you marry me?’ He asked, returning the question.    

‘Yes, yes, I do,’ Asta whispered and the raven felt her trembling all over.      

‘…I beg your pardon?’ Loki stared at her in confusion, but he suddenly found himself in Asta’s warm embrace, her face pressed against his chest.      

‘I never dreamt this day would come!’ she said, tears trickling down her face. ‘I mean, I had dreamt about it, but never even thought... I thought I had lost you, Loki, either to death or to misfortune or sometimes even to another heart, but here we are,’ she stammered, taking deep breaths. ‘Oh, Loki...’ She looked the god in the eyes again, a trembling smile on her face, as she told him what he had never expected to hear her say. ‘I love you. For years, many years, I have loved you. When you were gone, I...’ but she shook her head and held him close. 'It does not matter anymore, none of it. I will never leave your side, Loki, not until death do us part,’ she added with a trembling chuckle.      

As the raven wanted to speak, she suddenly kissed him, long and close, her arms carefully folded around his neck as she did so. One of her hands was resting in the warm back of his neck, her fingers softly pressed against his deep black hair, the soft touch of her hand nearly reaching his skin. He felt her warm lips against his own. He felt her, tasted her, her sweet scent seemed to fill his lungs as he could nearly feel her heart beating in his own. She then stopped and looked at him. The raven simply stared back at her as he had never seen her so blissful.      

‘Asta...’ Loki whispered, tears springing to his eyes as he finally realized what he had done and he shook his head, taking the hands that now rested on his cheeks, kissing them tenderly before returning them to their owner.      

‘What is it?’ Asta asked with a hesitant chuckle, but as she saw the sadness in Loki’s eyes, she grew a ghostly pale as she clasped her hands in front of her mouth. ‘You did not ask me... You meant...’     

‘In a hypothetical situation I would consider marrying you,’ Loki said cautiously, noticing how every word struck the bond between them harder even though his voice was no more than a ghostly whisper. ‘Asta, had I known that you...’      

‘No, no,’ she interrupted him, looking around the woods restlessly, ‘You are not to blame. I, I should have told you sooner instead of surprising you like this... N-no, I should not have told you at all. Oh Norns, I am such a fool!’       

‘Please, Asta, don’t,' Loki said as he tried to take her hand in his own and look her in the eye, but she frantically kept pulling back her hands and finally took a few quick steps away from him, tears filling her eyes to the brim. She then stared at the trickster, who looked back at her in complete shock and shame. ‘I am sorry, Loki,’ she managed to speak, ‘I am truly, so, so sorry.’     

‘Asta!’ Loki shouted as he ran after her, but even when he caught up with her, she would push him away and run faster again. She ran and ran until she saw a small light in the distance. It was her bookshop, her home, guiding her like a lighthouse to a place where she could feel safe, guiding her to her own little sanctuary where she could feel... alone.       

She threw open the door, trying to regain her breath as she lingered in the doorway. She then met Peter’s eyes, who had merely been staring ahead, alone with his thoughts. Her sudden entrance almost made him fall off the table he was sitting on and he stared at the young woman in confusion.      

‘W-what’s going on?’ he asked, suddenly alarmed by her tears. ‘What happened...?’      

But Asta merely shook her head, a trembling smile suddenly revealing through her tears. She opened her mouth as she wanted to speak to the concerned teen, but closed it again as she found herself lacking the strength to bring up anything other than the sound of her crying. She then ran past him, up the stairs, locking the hatch behind her so no one could follow.      

‘Asta, what’s-’ Peter started as he jumped off the table, but again he was startled, this time by Loki, who ran into the shop, panting slightly with a pained look in his eyes.      

‘Where is Asta?’ he asked, looking around him restlessly.      

Peter merely pointed towards the hatch.     

‘Asta!’ Loki shouted, running up the stairs as far as he could and pounding with his fist on the hatch. ‘Let me in! We have to talk.’   

‘Later,’ a faint voice replied from the other side of the hatch.      

‘But...’      

‘LATER!’ she shouted this time and Loki could hear her running towards her bedroom.   

‘Let me in, Asta!’ he shouted, already considering using his Seiðr, but he figured it would be better if she let him in herself. ‘I told you! I am sorry! If I had known you...!’ but the raven sighed as he realized she would not open the hatch and he marched down the stairs, pacing back and forth through the store in frustration.      

‘Lokes, what happened?’ Peter asked as his eyes followed the restless god.      

‘I am not sure, Peter!’ Loki said though he did not look at the teen. ‘I, I think I might have accidentally asked Asta to marry me.’      

‘You what?’ Peter asked in complete disbelief, ‘How did you...? Why would you...? How can you _accidentally_ ask someone to marry you?!’       

‘I do not know!’ the god stammered, ‘I said that I _might,_ or _would_ , marry her _if_ someone asked _if_ I would, but she interpreted it, well...’ He then looked at his fellow Avenger, his normally calm green eyes now clouded in a haze of complete confusion. ‘There is a huge difference there, right?’ he pleaded.      

‘Oh, shit, Lokes...’ Peter merely replied at which the raven looked up the stairs again, and the teen continued in a desperate voice, ‘I should have told you. No good ever comes from keeping a secret!’     

‘You knew?!’ the god asked outraged. ‘Why did you not tell me?!’      

‘Hey, I didn’t know you would propose to her!’      

‘Well, this might strike you as a surprise, but that was not my intention, Peter!’ Loki hissed sarcastically as he tried to calm down.      

‘Why not?!’ Peter found himself asking before he could stop himself. He had tried to make peace with the idea of his friend marrying a girl who had cared for him all his life, but now that future had suddenly shattered to pieces.     

‘Because I do not love her!’ Loki shouted, after which he fell completely silent, ‘I mean, I do, but not like that, I guess, I just never thought she...’ he tried to explain as a rain of confusion washed over him again.      

‘THEN JUST LEAVE, LOKI! YOU DO NOT OWE ME ANYTHING!’ Asta shouted from upstairs, a newfound fury ringing in her voice.      

‘No, I am not leaving until you talk to me!’ Loki shouted back, at which he ran over to the staircase. ‘I will stay here all night if I have to!’      

At that moment, Loki saw the hatch opening. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could utter one syllable, he found himself lying at the bottom of the stairs as Asta had thrown his books in his face.       

‘What the...?’ he asked, trying to get up, but feeling slightly hazy.     

‘Oh, Norns,’ the girl desperately sighed as she walked down the stairs, wiping her tears from her face and crouching down to find her friend under the pile of books. ‘Are you alright, Loki?’      

‘I think so, at least I got you to...’     

‘Good, now leave,’ she said coldly and she intended to run up the stairs again, but Peter suddenly jumped in front of her, blocking her path. ‘Let me pass, Peter,’ she said, her voice shaking with emotion.      

‘No, Asta,’ the teen said as he stayed put. ‘I really think you should talk this out.’      

‘Let me pass, Parkerson, this is my house and I have every right to do as I please,’ the girl hissed, attempting to dive past him up the stairs, but Peter’s spider senses warned him in advance and he blocked her path again.      

He then held on to her shoulders with a swift motion before she could exercise another escape attempt and he looked her in the eye. ‘Just hear him out, okay?’      

Flabbergasted the young woman stared at him. She then let her shoulders drop somewhat and she sighed. ‘I do not seem to have much of a choice, do I?’       

‘I’m sorry, no,’ Peter said sternly though with a careful smile. The two then turned towards the trickster, who was getting back on his feet after he had shaken off his drowsiness. As he found his footing again, Asta sat down on the counter and waited for him to say what he had to say, while Peter closed the hatch and took a seat on the staircase.      

‘Asta, I,’ Loki managed to utter as his fingers twitched with nervous.      

‘Just speak, Loki, I did the hard part already,’ she interrupted him, but as the trickster stared at her in agony, a merciful smile became visible on her face. ‘Please, just tell me, as my friend.’      

At this, Loki nodded with a sigh. He then took a deep breath to fortify himself and steady his shaking hands as much as possible. ‘I did not know you felt this way about me, Asta,’ he started, after which his mind suddenly became blank. He cursed mentally as he now realized he could not depend on his brain to come up with witty lines and clever remarks, so he knew he had to find the words in his heart instead. The very idea of his brain abandoning him scared the trickster to death and a panic became clearly visible in his eyes.      

At that moment, Asta took his hands in hers and she smiled, a painful smile, but a genuine one. ‘Now stop thinking, Loki, and just say it,’ she whispered, ‘I am right here, as the friend you have known for so many years. You can tell me anything, remember?’      

Loki looked at Asta, the warmth of her brown eyes seeming to calm him slightly and he nodded. ‘I never intended to hurt you...’ He gulped softly as he gently held on to her hands. ‘You have to know that, Asta. You mean everything to me. I tend to, to mess up everything that crosses my path and I lose, constantly, but I... I do not want to lose you.’      

‘And you won’t,’ Asta said with a smile as she pressed his hands softly, ‘It... It is hard when you love someone and they do not love you the same way, but I will not let it ruin our friendship. I, I just need some time to figure things out, to get this, to get these feelings out of my system, you understand? So they cannot hurt me anymore. Because you did not hurt me, Lokes...’ She quickly wiped away a tear and took hold of his hands again, ‘I did this to myself.’      

Loki looked at her for a moment after which he carefully brushed a bright red lock of hair behind her ear. ‘How peculiar,’ he managed to speak with a smile as he fought against some tears himself. ‘The first time someone takes all the blame, yet I do not feel content by it at all.’ He smiled a little nervously as he placed both hands on her cheeks.       

‘I am just being honest with myself and with you,’ Asta said as she shrugged. ‘That is what friends do.’      

‘If there is anything I can do for you, as your friend, to help you...’ the trickster started, but he did not know how to end the sentence, so he merely smiled.      

‘I could really use a hug now,’ she said with a giggle and a sob and let herself fall into the god’s warm embrace as he opened his arms, just sobbing and smiling and not understanding what was going through her heart, but noticing that her mind was now at peace. Meanwhile, the trickster held her close, his heart feeling slightly clouded by sadness, but a sense of relief broke through. He then looked up, his eyes meeting those of Peter, who was silently sitting on the stairs and Loki smiled a little helplessly at him.       

‘If you would like to join in?’ the trickster eventually said with a chuckle, gesturing with a free hand to his friend that there was plenty of room for one more.      

‘Uhm, no, thanks, I'm good,’ Peter slightly smiled as he did not want to interfere with the Asgardians again.      

Asta looked up and she chuckled. ‘Come on, Peter, group hug,’ she smiled as she grabbed the teen by his wrist and pulled him off the stairs before he could say anything else. Next thing he knew, he was drawn into the hug by two different arms and he laughed.       

‘Cozy,’ he uttered as he tried to clasp his arms around them as well, but not really succeeding. At that moment, he felt a pair of soft lips soundlessly pressing against his left temple. There was no further movement, no kiss, just the touch of warm skin against his own. He looked up at the trickster, but Loki merely rested his head against that of the teen without a word, his eyes closed as a soft smile formed on his face.      

‘If only I had known,’ Asta chuckled. As the two men stared at her in confusion, she laughed. ‘Oh, please, I saw that.’      

‘What, I didn’t see anything?’ Peter asked with a bright smile, after which he looked at the trickster. ‘You?’      

‘I have no idea what she is talking about,’ the god said with a smirk, shrugging his shoulders.      

‘Sure,’ Asta said with a knowing smile and she sighed, finally letting go of the two men. ‘I see we have a lot to talk about. How long are you two staying in Asgard?’      

‘I think we should head back to Midgard again,’ Loki started, but Peter looked at him with a surprised expression.       

‘Already? I have hardly seen anything, Lokes! Can’t we stay, just a little longer?’      

‘Well...’ Loki hesitated but laughed as he looked at the teen’s pleading eyes. ‘Stop the puppy staring, Peter. It is ineffective.’      

‘It is highly effective, if I may say so,’ Asta laughed and she joined the teen, also pulling a sad face. ‘Please, Lokes?’      

‘You both act like little children.’ Loki shook his head, now understanding how T’Challa must constantly feel when he’s in Stark Tower, but he could not suppress a chuckle. ‘Fine, Peter, you can stay here, with Asta.’       

‘Ha! It worked!’ Asta laughed and she high-fived Peter. ‘I am going to remember that tactic, my friend.’      

‘Wait, what, with Asta?’ Peter suddenly asked in disbelief, the trickster’s words finally reaching him.      

‘Yes, I have to go to the palace. There are still some items there that I need to retrieve,’ Loki said as his smile faded. ‘You can stay here with Asta until I get back. It will not take long, I promise.’      

‘No, you’re not leaving me here!’ Peter said and he quickly looked at Asta. ‘No offense.’      

‘None taken,’ she shrugged, a smile on her face as she took up some books and started to stack them on the counter.      

‘But you are not leaving me here while you visit some awesome Asgardian palace, Lokes. I want to see it.’      

‘It really is not all that “awesome” Peter, I am only going to my room, retrieve some books and other belongings and take my leave.’      

‘It is truly a beautiful sight to behold,’ Asta whispered to the teen, just loud enough for Loki to hear it as well. She laughed as she received an unamused look from the trickster.      

‘I thought we just verified that we were friends,’ Loki laughed sarcastically as he looked at the red-haired girl.      

‘We are, but a little payback won’t hurt, will it?’ she said with a smirk. ‘Take him with you, Lokes. He might just come to understand you a little better if you let him join you,’ she added with a well-meant wink.       

Loki looked at the two, one staring at him with pleading puppy dog eyes, the other with a teasing smile on her face. ‘I must be out of my mind,’ he sighed. ‘Fine, let’s go, Peter. But let this be clear: we walk in, I retrieve my items and we walk out again, no tour, no sight-seeing, understood?’      

‘Yes, sir!’ Peter said enthusiastically.   

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is it!  
> No fun-facts for this chapter but they will be there in the next one!  
> ANyway, please let us know your thoughts!  
> Until next time, 
> 
> Tot de volgende keer!  
> Nederland~!


	21. A royal tour

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone and welcome back!
> 
> Thank you all so so so much for your awesome comments on the previous chapter! You guys are just freaking AWESOME!
> 
> Anyway, without further ado, here's chapter 21~!

**A royal tour**

 

After taking their leave from Asta, the two travelers roamed through the alleys and streets of Asgard. It did not take long for Loki and Peter to reach the palace. Located in the heart of the city, it stood tall and proud, its golden towers shining in sunlight. Peter made sure to stay close to the trickster, for he already felt lost the moment they set their first step into the courtyard. He looked around, staring at the soldiers marching by. He then bumped into the god who had taken a sudden stop.  

‘This... this is new,’ Loki said as he stared in slight confusion at a beautiful golden statue of the Allmother, glistening brightly in the early evening sun. ‘This was not here last time I was in Asgard, I am certain,’ he said to Peter, though his eyes remained on the statue as he tried to figure out how to feel.   

‘Well,’ Peter said as he kept staring as well, ‘It is really beautiful.’ He then looked at the detailed fascial expression, warm and caring, yet at the same time proud and graceful. ‘So, this was what your mother looked like...’    

‘...Not even close,’ Loki finally said as he crossed his arms, now certain that he did not care for the statue at all. ‘Mother would never have approved of this. I wonder whose bright idea it was to create this thing.’   

‘Well, whoever it was, they sure put a lot of attention into the details. She looks very kind, Lokes.’   

‘I suppose so,’ the trickster stared at the statue for a moment longer and let out a sigh. ‘What would mother think if someone told her that for a moment she had a daughter instead of a son, and then I have not even mentioned the fact that that daughter went on a date with a Midgardian boy to some hormone-infested dance...’ He then chuckled softly and looked at Peter with a genuine smile. ‘Though I do think she would be most pleased to see you as my boyfr… as a friend, she would, would not mind that at all, I think,’ Loki quickly corrected himself as the tip of his fingers searched for the teen’s hand once more. A feeling of sadness hit him as he came to realize once more that he would never see his mother again, and that she would never see the life he was living now. Would she be proud of him? He wondered.   

Peter looked at the raven and as he noticed the carefully moving hand hovering closely to his, he smiled and took the hand in his own as they both looked at the golden statue.   

‘Loki?’ The two heard a voice calling out to them in complete surprise.     

Peter turned around to see to whom the voice belonged to, but Loki quickly let go of his hand and took his wrist as he wanted to pull the teen along without looking back.    

‘Loki! Norns know how long it has been!’ a blond man spoke as he was accompanied by two others.  At his left stood a man with seemingly black hair, but as the sun shone its last rays of warm light on it, the teen could clearly see that it was a dark shade of brown. At the blond’s right stood the tallest of the three, a man with bright red curly hair, which flawlessly matched with his beard.      

‘Omg, Lokes,’ Peter softly squealed as the three came walking towards them, their capes fluttering in a cooling breeze, their armory clinking softly with every step they took, their unique weapons shining brightly at their side. ‘I think I know who these guys are!’ he said as he managed to at least _look_ like he was calm.    

‘I am afraid I do as well, Peter, now let’s move before they-’ Loki whispered back at him, but he felt a large hand resting on his shoulder as he wanted to take another step.     

‘Your Highness,’ the red-haired man greeted the raven with a bright smile, at which Loki slowly turned around.    

‘And who might this young man be?’ the dark-haired man asked as he looked at Peter.    

‘This,’ Loki started reluctantly, ‘is Peter Parker. He is of Midgard. Peter, these are-’    

‘Oh! Don't say anything,’ Peter said as he looked at the three men in front of him in awe. ‘You,’ he said, pointing at the red-haired man. ‘You are Volstagg, right?’    

‘Brilliant boy!’ Volstagg laughed in a merry tune. ‘This lad, I like him!’    

‘Aaaaand that means you are,’ Peter said as he looked at the raven-haired man, ‘Hogun,’ he stated confidently as the man nodded at him with a smile. ‘And that leaves you,’ he said, now pointing at the blond in the middle. ‘You are Fandral!’    

‘Correct!’ Fandral laughed warm-heartedly. ‘The Warriors Three, at your service, my boy!’   

‘This is so cool! You’re Thor’s friends, right? He has told me so much about you guys! You three are basically legends, at least, that’s what Thor’s been telling me,’ Peter said as he tried to calm down, but noticing he failed epically.   

‘Peter, I hardly believe any of those stories are-’ Loki started, but he got interrupted by a loud laughter coming from the blond.    

‘Almost, my dear friend, almost,’ Fandral said as he placed a hand on the young man’s shoulder. ‘You see, a legend is a heroic story or, in this case, person, from long, long ago. Yet we,’ the blond said as he gestured at the two at his side, ‘are very much alive, my friend. We are no legends, we merely create them,’ he stated in a heroic voice as he winked with a charming smile, causing the teen to stare at him in awe, his mouth slightly ajar, while his raven friend crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.    

‘So, you are acquainted with the prince of Asgard, huh?’ Hogun asked, ‘Well, a friend of Thor is a friend of ours. Welcome to Asgard, son of Parker, and welcome to the Asgardian Palace.’    

‘Has our prince given you a tour yet?’ Fandral asked as he looked at the raven.    

‘No, and I was not planning on doing so either,’ Loki stated coldly. ‘We are merely here to retrieve some books and then we will make our way back to Midgard again.’   

‘Midgard?’ Volstagg frowned, ‘Now I might be mistaken, but did you not attack that realm? Twice? And you are still allowed to reside there?’    

‘Ah! You and your books,’ Fandral laughed as he placed a hand on the trickster’s shoulder. ‘Honestly, Loki, you bring a friend of Thor into the Asgardian Palace and you were not planning on showing him around?’ he asked in disbelief as he then shook his head, making a disapproving clicking sound with his tong. ‘That simply will not do, I am afraid.’ He then looked at Peter, ‘Tell me, son of Parker, would you be interested in a tour by none other than The Warriors Three?’ he asked with a charming smile.   

‘Yes sir!’ Peter shouted enthusiastically, but he then looked at the trickster, ‘I-if that’s okay with you of course, Lokes.’    

‘Peter, I am really not comfortable wi-’    

 _‘Lokes_?’ Volstagg repeated as he looked from Peter to Loki, causing the other men to laugh.    

‘Lokes,’ Fandral confirmed and he plainly laughed at Loki. ‘I like that nickname. It truly suits you, your Highness. Now then, Peter, let’s go. The palace is quite large, you see, so it will take some time to see all of it.’ Fandral smiled at the teen as he placed his hand on his shoulder, guiding him in the right direction while Volstagg and Hogun followed them, laughing all the while.   

‘... Be my guest,’ the trickster said a bit grumpily as he wanted to turn right, so he could get to his room and grab the books he came for, but his restless mind practically forced his body to move to the left. Feeling drained, both physically, but most of all emotionally, Loki followed the four men from a distance, keeping quiet as he stared at the ground as if he were no more than a shadow.    

The Warriors Three were certain not to leave any hall unmentioned. They took Peter everywhere, from the great dining halls to the sleeping quarters, from the kitchen to the stables, they made sure Peter saw it all. They even were so generous to go above and beyond by showing Peter the underground dungeons, even presenting the cell that was Loki’s home for months after his attack on Midgard with the help of the Chitauri. The raven listened as Fandral made one remark after the next about him, some more exasperating than others, however, drained as Loki was, he decided to let them slide. Hoping that each sentence coming out of the blond’s mouth would be his last, the trickster had to remind himself not to curse Fandral every time he opened his mouth yet again.    

‘And here,’ Fandral said as he pointed at a large old tree on one of the many training grounds, ‘Here Lokes and I fought a brief duel over some red-haired lady and believe me,’ the blond said as he laid a hand to rest on the teen’s shoulder with a kind smile, ‘I would have won, easily, if it was not for Thor breaking us up.’     

‘Wooow, this place is so huge! And I thought Stark Tower was big, but here, I don’t know, I feel like if I would take one wrong turn, I would be lost for days,’ Peter laughed. ‘Really, Lokes, this place is amazing! What is there not to like about it?’ he asked happily as he only now turned around to look at his friend, his smile immediately fading as he watched the trickster’s tired eyes. ‘You okay, Lokes?’    

‘Ah, he will be fine, not to worry, my friend,’ Fandral smiled as he rested his arm on the trickster’s shoulders and casually leaned against him. ‘You remember that girl, raven?’ he smirked as Loki’s expression seemed to turn darker with every word coming out of the blond's mouth. ‘I do not recall her name, though, she was a bit of a dull mouse. Tell me, Your Highness, what was the fair maiden’s name again? You know, the daughter of the librarian, surely _you_ must have remembered.’    

‘Asta,’ Loki stated like he did not care for the conversation, but a ring of irritation was clearly audible in his voice.    

‘Ah, yes! Asta.’ Fandral then turned to Peter again, who was looking at the two with a smile, though he was a little confused on how to feel at this moment. ‘Well, you see, Peter, Asta was truly cheering for me. She must have been because-’ Fandral stopped his sentence as he looked into the distance, his hair playfully dancing in a soft breeze, ‘I have this way with women, you see,’ he said, after which he chuckled as he felt the raven’s fierce green eyes peering at him.     

‘Please, Fandral, continue your little tour, I am certain Peter would love to see more of the palace,’ Loki said as he tried to calm down and wanted to continue walking. ‘And the sooner we are done the better,’ he mumbled.    

‘You are right, Lokes,’ Fandral confirmed as he rearranged his pose, placing his foot just in front of that of the trickster’s, which made the raven stumble to the ground. ‘Oh my, are you alright, Your Highness?’ The blond asked as he offered a hand to help the god up.    

Loki angerly slapped the hand away, taking in deep breaths to calm down before he would open his mouth. ‘I am fine,’ he managed to utter through gritted teeth as he stood up. He then swallowed as a coppery flavor filled his mouth, only now noticing that he had bitten his tongue.    

‘Good, so no harm done then, right?’ Fandral said as he patted the Liesmith’s back with a hard slap of his hand. ‘Truly, trickster, you need to step up your game here. I mean, look at your attempts with this Asta girl. You have spent so much time with her, yet you never seemed to get anywhere with her,’ Fandral said as he placed his arm around the raven’s shoulders again. ‘You see, I spent one night with her and she was all over me.’     

'Shut it, you liar,’ Loki growled as he had to fight to keep both his Seiðr and his anger under control.    

‘Oh, but it is true! Has she never told you this?’ Fandral continued merrily as he saw the god tremble in rage. ‘Norns, I might not have remembered her name, but those lips, that body,’ he said as he nodded, ‘Now _that_ I consider worth remembering! Let me give you some advice on the ladies, you know, because we are such good friends. The trick is to touch her at just the right spots. Her hips, her waist, slowly moving up, and then those lips! By Odin’s beard, she was a skilled kisser! But I guess you have no idea of what I am talking about now, do you? Might this have anything to do with the fact that you prefer...’ Fandral turned his gaze towards Peter, looking him up and down a little, ‘-men? Could it be that you do not fancy women at all?’ he finished his sentence with a smirk. 'Anyway, I am telling you, she was shivering under my fingertips.’ He patted Loki on his shoulder, noticing the trickster would only need one more little push to completely lose his temper. ‘Now _that_ is what the touch of a real man does to a woman, and I guess she had been longing for that for quite a while...' After this, Fandral leaned a little closer and whispered into the trembling god’s ear, ‘I guess she could not get that from you now, could she?’     

Loki finally snapped, his fury leaving him speechless as he pushed the blond from his side, pinning him against the cold wall as he rested one arm against the man’s chest, the other held up high with a dagger in hand.    

‘Lokes!’ Peter shouted at the raven as he tried to jump in between the warrior and the god, but Loki kept his eyes on Fandral, as if the teen was not even there.     

‘Forgive me, my prince, but is it not all water under the bridge now?’ Fandral said with a smile as he raised his hands in complete innocence. He then looked at Peter, ‘Looks like someone cannot appreciate a jest, would you not agree?’     

‘Do not involve Peter in this! And do not dare to speak ill of lady Asta!’ Loki hissed as his Seiðr raged around his body like a wildfire, his voice low in anger. ‘I swear by Yggdrasil, if you lay as much as one finger on her I will...!’ the god threatened as his clothes unwillingly changed into his royal battle outfit, the gold of his helmet flaming in the last rays of evening sunlight.    

‘Lokes! Cut it out!’ Peter shouted as he tried his best to keep the two apart. He looked over his shoulder, a call for help written across his face as his eyes met those of the two remaining warriors.    

‘Let them be, son of Parker,’ Volstagg said as he seemed completely calm, ‘They will fight this out, they always do.’   

‘This is not your fight, Peter,’ Hogun agreed, ‘Do not interfere.’      

‘Are you truly planning on fighting me?’ Fandral asked with a challenging smirk on his face as he placed one hand on the hilt of his sword, ‘And here I was, hoping to just have a nice chat with you, give you some well-meant advice, but you are just as ungrateful as ever. With all due respect, I am telling you this as a friend, but maybe you should show the people around you some gratitude. Your father, for instance. He took you in when no one else wanted you, feeding you, clothing you, giving you a bed to sleep in, I am merely saying, he could have just left you in that rotten realm to die and no one would bat an eye. Honestly, I do _not_ understand where all your hostility is coming from. You had a decent life, my prince, so whatever misery has befallen you was by your own doing.’ He then smirked as he saw how the bright green of the raven’s eyes slowly ebbed away as the god’s Seiðr was starting to go berserk, revealing the bright ruby Jötunn eyes that were so desperately hidden from the world for all those centuries. Deciding to see just how far he could go, Fandral continued, ‘But I guess if you want to fight this bad, I could go for a round or two. Although one will probably suffice, I mean, everyone here has triumphed over you, is it not? Me, Thor, Lady Sif, well, the whole lot of us, multiple times, actually. You even got defeated by a group of Midgardian mortals. You really have to step up your game, my prince, because that is just pathetic.'   

‘A fair fight, huh?!’ Loki shouted, pushing the blond against the wall with more force than his opponent had expected, causing Fandral to cough loudly as the stone wall in his back started to slightly crumble down from the impact. ‘Because you always play fair, is that not right?!’ he said as some of the skin in his face and arms started to color a deep shade of blue, causing the blond to shiver heavily at the freezing touch.   

‘Lokes! Stop it!’ Peter shouted as he tried to gain the god’s attention. He grabbed the trickster’s hand in which he had conjured his iconic silver dagger, Peter’s eyes growing wide as he now stared directly into the god’s eyes. He held his breath as he saw that the once so brilliant and vivid emeralds were completely replaced by rubies, violent red and crystal-clear rubies. ‘Lokes...?’ he managed to utter in a slightly quivering voice as he felt all the warmth in his hand slowly being sucked out of him, replaced with a frightening cold. As the god’s eyes seemed filled with blood, and the freezing touch of the bright blue skin made his hand go numb, Peter let go of Loki’s hand and took a step back. ‘Loki, what… what’s happening to you…?’    

‘Not to worry, Peter,’ Fandral managed to speak with a smile. He placed his hand on the teen’s shoulder, softly pulling him a little closer against him in reassurance as he now looked at Loki, ‘You are just witnessing him for what he really is: A Frost Giant from Jötunheim. Not that there is anything wrong with that, right, Your Highness?’   

It was only now that the raven’s sight, which was completely clouded by wrath, started to slightly clear. He looked at the teen and how Fandral held him close against his body, as if protecting him from harm, protecting him from a raging Jötunn. ‘Peter…’ Loki softly uttered, wanting to take a step back.   

‘Loki.’ The five men than turned around as they heard a stern, yet calm voice calling the god’s name, all falling completely silent as they gazed upon the highest god of Asgard. ‘Making a scene as always, I see,’ Odin said disapprovingly as he watched his youngest child releasing the blond warrior.    

‘Allfather,’ Peter heard his friend say in a cold voice, only now realizing he had never heard Loki call nor refer to the man as his father. He looked at Loki and saw how the raven tried to calm down, the blue of his skin slowly changing into perfect porcelain, the red of his eyes making way for those bright green emeralds again, his battle outfit changing back to his more casual Asgardian garment, while the god seemed to slowly gain control over his Seiðr again.    

‘What was the meaning of all this?’ Odin asked suspiciously, looking at his son and the young man who accompanied him. He then turned his attention to The Warriors Three, signaling them to leave with a simple nod of his head.   

‘Forgive him, my king,’ Fandral said as he let go of Peter and bowed to one knee in front of the Allfather. ‘The prince and I were merely reminiscing about the past. He just got a little emotional, that is all. It is not his fault, we all know Loki is a...’ the blond looked at the raven from the corner of his eye, ‘ _sensitive_ man.’    

‘And you always speak without anyone asking for it,’ Odin said sternly, but then sighed with something that seemed like a smile. ‘Much like Thor, I reckon. Dinner is about to be served. You three better head for the halls.’    

Hogun and Volstagg passed the raven god without even looking at him, but Fandral stopped for a second as he stood at the trickster’s side and placed a hand on his shoulder, ‘Welcome back, your Highness,’ he said merrily as he patted the raven on his shoulder. Before he moved along, he gave a quick nod to Peter with a friendly smile, which the teen did not know how to answer, so he merely passed the blond a slight smile in return.  

‘Who might your friend be?’ Odin decided to ask his son as the three warriors were out of sight.    

‘I believe you already know,’ Loki stated as he was still trying to catch his calm. ‘Surely Heimdall has informed you. Now, if you do not mind, I wish to retrieve some items from my room and take my leave.’    

Odin looked at his son for a second and sighed, ‘Night is already falling, Loki. Certainly you two must be hungry. Why will you not join us for dinner?’    

‘I do not have the desire to stay,’ Loki said angrily, his expression starting to match his emotion as he took a more defending stance. He then heard a loud growl coming from the teen who stood next to him.    

‘S-sorry,’ Peter said as his cheeks turned a bright shade of red and he placed his hands on his stomach. ‘It’s just.. We have been walking all day and we haven’t really eaten anything, you know, besides breakfast and those weird artichoke fruit thingies,’ he said as he looked at his friend, uttering a sigh of relief as he saw those familiar green eyes again. They were screaming rage, yes, but at least they were that beautiful shade of emerald he had come to hold so dear.   

‘Come with me, young sir, there is plenty of food in the halls to silence your stomach for at least a week,’ Odin said with a smile and he gestured to the dining halls.    

‘You mean,’ Peter started as he smiled, ‘I get to have dinner in the Asgardian Palace?’    

‘You may even sit next to the king of Asgard, if that pleases you,’ the Allfather continued, ‘You are already dressed like a prince, might as well dine like one,’ he said as he looked at the extravagant attire the teen was wearing, comparing it to the simple tunic his own son was clothed in. Then he turned to Loki with a judgmental expression. ‘I expect you to sit on my other side, my son, for you are a prince of Asgard and you have a place here...’ His expression then grew grim, ‘...but if you would rather go to your room and leave your home like a thief in the night, that will be your decision.’   

‘I hope you do not expect me to stay here any longer than necessary?’ Loki scoffed, ‘Because if you do, then I-’  

‘Of course he will join us,’ Peter quickly stated with a forced smile, holding on to Loki’s wrist, at which the god glared at him with more than a deadly expression.     

‘Terrific,’ Odin said as he averted his eyes from his youngest child and smiled at the teen. ‘Now, if you will follow me.’  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for this chapter!
> 
> Now how about some awesome facts. :)  
> Though not part of the actual Norse Mythology, here are the facts about our warriors three!
> 
> Volstagg the Staggeringly Perfect
> 
> “Many there are who assume that I eat only to escape a nagging shrew of a wife. Nonsense! I eat only because I enjoy it!”
> 
> Together with Hogun the Good, Fandral the Quite Plain, Thor and Loki, Volstagg fought a battle in hell lasting for 80 days. The warriors three were severely injured, leaving Thor to fight a horde of hell’s monsters while Loki cared for the fallen warriors.  
> After this battle and eighty days without food, Volstagg started eating as soon as he could and never stopped since. This battle was allegedly the one that made Thor worthy of Mjolnir. Due to the battle, Hogun the Good became Hogun the Grim, and, for some reason, Fandral the Quite Plain became Fandral the Dashing later.
> 
> Volstagg became a huge, bumbling oaf much given to boasting and bragging, the last into battle and the first to claim victory (usually undeserved). Referring to himself as the "Lion of Asgard," he usually caused more problems than he solved and seemed totally unaware of the chaos that almost always followed in his wake.
> 
> Furthermore, Volstagg is a fantastic cook. Or at least so he boasts. It is likely that his wife Gunnhilde does much of the cooking though, but for a time he hosted a show about cooking. He also has a pet dragon
> 
> Hogun the Good – Hogun the Grim
> 
> “BAH! My final answer would be, "Passeth me the million dollars now 'ere I separate thy babbling head from thy shoulders, Regis!" 
> 
> Hogun is an Asgardian warrior though he is not an Easir. In Thor: The Dark World Prelude it is mentioned that he is of Vanaheim and thus a Vanir. He is an excellent hand to hand combatant and horseman. He is also an expert in all forms of Asgardian weaponry, particularly the mace.  
> Just like Loki Hogun posseses the power of Allspeak. The Allspeak Asgardians can communicate in all of the languages of the Nine Realms, Earth's dialects, and various alien languages.  
> Hogun is an increadably powerful warrior, he can press lift at least 35 tons, thus making him a fierceful enemy! Though he is an expert in many weapons, he prefers his own mace called; Hridgandr
> 
> Not much is known about Hogun’s family, other than that his father and brother were slain fighting for their homeland.
> 
> Fandral the Quite Plain – Fanrdal the Dashing
> 
> “Stand thee aside, Staggeringly One! My steel shall strike for thee!”
> 
>  
> 
> With the help of his sword, Fimbuldraugr, Fandral fought alongside Thor, on numerous occasions for the safety and wellbeing of Asgard. He was known for his superior swordsmanship, bravery, ego and extreme optimism. No matter the consequences he would always do the right thing, even if the result was death. His ego was more of a disadvantage than an asset. His good looks and suave charms made him the ladies man of The Warriors Three but his tendency to court more than one woman at a time got him into trouble.
> 
> Funny story!
> 
> In the 13th Century; Fandral was being chased by a Storm Giant through a forest in Asgard when he fell through a portal. He landed on Midgard in England in an area known as Nottingham. It was then that he met a woman named Marian. It was love at first sight and she told him of the local governor who was stealing from the poor. Over time he formed a band of Merry Men to help him rob the government, giving the money back to the poor. Working together he took down the governor and the false king as the true king returned to the throne. He married Marian and they settled in a home not far from Nottingham. However due to her mortal nature she aged and died while Fandral remained unchanged. After her death he returned to Asgard through a portal. It remained unclear if he truly was the inspiration for the legend of Robin Hood.
> 
> And that's it for today! Please let us know your thoughts in a comment!  
> See you all in 2 days~!


	22. Mending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone and welcome back. 
> 
> Here's chapter 22 - Mending, hope you will like it!

**Mending**

 

Loud music was echoing through the great dining halls while the tables were constantly provided with all sorts of food. The merry tunes of flutes, harps, drums and guitars filled the air while people were happily clapping and singing along to the songs of old, raising their glasses while gorgeous women refilled them with the finest wines and mead.     

Loki stared at his plate and now and then took a bite of his dinner, but he could not force himself to find an appetite. He was careful to avert the gazes of the Warriors Three, of Lady Sif, of all the Asgardians that now and then stared at him and whispered to their neighbors. At last, he tuned into the conversation between Peter and the Allfather, though he did not mean to do so.    

‘You mean to say you live with that many warriors in such a small residence?’ Odin asked amused as Peter told him about the Avengers.    

‘It’s not that small, sir, uhm, Your Highness, but it’s, well, not as large as this place, of course. It’s nice though, you know, it feels like home.’    

‘And my sons both settle for such a humble abode?’    

‘Uh, I, I think they do,’ Peter said hesitantly, considering what the Allfather meant with “humble abode”.     

‘Extraordinary. Well, Thor would not complain about his quarters, I am sure. I bet he is hardly ever home in the first place now, is he?’    

‘Nah, not really, he is exploring Earth, uhm, Midgard, to the fullest,’ Peter nodded with a smile. ‘There was this one time when Clint and Natasha-    

‘The archer and the warrior woman, correct?’ Odin said as he remembered his oldest son telling him about his Midgardian friends many times.   

‘Yeah, they took Thor, Steve and Bucky to the cinema and they had to spent, like, two hours on explaining the concept of CGI!’ Peter laughed as he looked at the two royal Asgardians, his laugh then fading as he realized they had no idea what he was talking about either. ‘It uhm, it’s some form of special effects. It’s... Sort of a magic trick, you know, but it’s not actual magic.’    

‘Ah, so Midgard has wizards as well?’ Odin smiled.    

‘Unfortunately, yes,’ Loki mumbled as he took a sip from his wine, thinking back to the day he met Doctor Strange. ‘That oaf had me falling for thirty minutes...’ he softly added to that, not really saying this to participate in the conversation, but because the mere thought of the Doctor was enough to give him a headache. ‘Thinking he is a wizard, thuh, such arrogance...’ he grumbled absentmindedly.     

‘…And what are your impressions of Midgard, Loki?’ Odin asked, slightly thrown off by this sudden interruption.    

‘It, uhm...’ Loki started hesitantly as he straightened his back, but as Peter cast him an encouraging smile from the other side of Odin, Loki could not help but awkwardly smile back. ‘It is agreeable. I might even go as far as to say that I quite like it,’ he said with a nod, after which he nervously averted his eyes from the Allfather’s again.    

Odin smiled in surprise at his son’s words. ‘I see. Well, Midgard must be a wonderful place to earn your favor, Loki.’    

‘It is,’ Loki confirmed, a little more confident this time. ‘Well, the inhabitants, the Midgardians, most of them are quite enjoyable, and intelligible, for that matter,’ he added as the Allfather waited further explanation. ‘Uhm, there, there is the phenomenon of ice-cream, I think Asgard could use it. It is basically frozen cream with a flavor. Really popular on Midgard,’ he added as he tried to keep this awkward conversation going, though he felt his heart loudly pumping in his chest as he felt the Allfather looking at him, causing his eyes to nervously dart from the king to his plate.    

‘Well, it sounds like I should try it, someday,’ Odin said with a smile, causing Loki to frown.     

During the remainder of dinner Loki started to feel less of an intruder and more of a welcome guest in what once was his home. It fascinated him that even though he was home, he felt like he was a complete stranger, while Peter, on the other hand, had never been to Asgard before, yet seemed to fit right in. The Allfather laughed at all the teen’s jokes, even when he was trying to be serious, and he cast Loki some warm but unexplainable smiles, making his son wonder whether Odin was actually happy to see him after all.      

Eventually dinner had come to an end and the two young men roamed through the quiet halls of the palace towards the trickster’s room.  

‘Just a moment, Peter, I know exactly where I put those books,’ Loki said as he opened a door in his room, leading to a small storage space.    

‘Sure,’ Peter nodded as he looked around the large room in awe, noticing how it looked very much like the trickster’s room in the Stark Tower. That is to say, it was quite empty except for rows and rows of books and some personal belongings, besides some necessary furniture. The teen’s attention then was pulled back towards the raven as he pushed a large cauldron out of the cabinet, followed by two large suitcases.     

Peter stared at the trickster in confusion. ‘Lokes, did you, can you make potions? Are, are you a wizard?’ He managed to ask in complete surprise as one of the suitcases fell open, revealing all sorts of dried herbs and, if he was not mistaken, even some dried lizards and other small creatures. A smile then formed on his face as he suddenly wondered what Hogwarts house the trickster would be in, Slytherin being the first that came to mind though Ravenclaw would be a good option as well.   

Loki chuckled. ‘Not really, no. I have tried to study the arts of potion making once, but it was not for me. Plus, mother kindly though earnestly advised me to stop after I had set half of the east-wing ablaze for the third time in a week.’    

‘Why doesn’t that surprise me?’ Peter chuckled, ‘So why are you taking them along? You aren’t planning on blowing up Stark Tower, are you?’    

‘I am tempted, but no, I just needed them to move,’ Loki said as he crawled deeper into the storage and eventually pulled out a small box. ‘I was merely looking for this,’ he said as he opened it and pulled out some small books, which looked so old Peter would swear they would turn to dust with the snap of his fingers.    

‘What are they about?’ the teen asked as he tilted his head.    

‘Mending,’ Loki said as he looked at the books with a smile. ‘Mother gave them to me when I was little. She hoped I would start my study on Seiðr by learning how to heal others, but I was never all that interested in them, so they just lay here, gathering dust in the far back of my closet,’ he said as he stood up, ‘But now that I do not have to fight alone anymore and, well... with this, I might finally be of use to others,’ a hopeful smile colored his face.   

‘I see,’ Peter said as he let out a placid sigh, a warm smile forming on his face. The very idea of Loki trying to be a better team member made him happy beyond words. His smile then faded as he continued hesitantly, his thoughts trailing back. ‘Lokes, about this afternoon...’ he swallowed a bit nervously, his fingers fiddling. ‘What... What happened to you? When you turned blue and your eyes grew red... What did that mean? I know Fandral mentioned something about Frost-giants, but I didn’t really get it...’  

Loki froze for a second at the question, the image of his terrified friend coming back to him as he first saw Loki in his jötunn form. At first, he thought of ignoring the question, changing the subject so he did not have to answer it without the teen even noticing he did so. He could do that, he could deceive Peter easily if he wanted to. But just as he thought of this, he quickly shook his head and then uttered a deep sigh, ‘Do not pay any attention to Fandral’s words, Peter. What you witnessed were mere side effects of my Seiðr, nothing more.’  

‘And that’s not supposed to happen, right?’ Peter asked carefully. ‘Just some side effect?’ 

‘Just some side effect,’ the trickster confirmed with a nod.  

‘Hm,’ Peter thought, then he smiled, ’Maybe those books could help you fix that too, right? So it doesn’t happen again?’  

‘ _Fix_ it...?’ Loki repeated, the teen’s words feeling like a dagger fleetingly skimming his heart, but he then quickly forced a smile to cover this sensation. ‘Yes, let’s hope they can. Anyway, let’s go home. I think I have had more than enough excitement for one day.’   

‘Yeah, it would be nice to be home again. Just lazing around on a couch, watching some Netflix. Looking forward to that already,’ Peter said as he closed his eyes and imagined the scene he described.   

‘Oh, that reminds me,’ the trickster said as he suddenly looked up at Peter with questioning eyes. ‘I once heard the Captain ask something to Anthony about “Netflix and chilling” at which Anthony’s face turned a bright shade of red. Do you have any idea what that is about?’    

At this, Peter’s eyes suddenly opened wide and he gasped, ‘SHIT!’ he shouted, searching for his phone.     

‘W-what is it?’ Loki asked, his eyes widened in surprise as he saw the teen frantically searching his pockets.    

‘I forgot to send Tony a text! Oh, he’s going to kill me!’    

‘You forgot to text him?! So no one knows where we were today?! You oaf! How could you forget? Did you at least leave a note or something?’   

‘My phone is in my other clothes! I just put them...’ Peter said as he searched his backpack for his old clothes. ‘I left it in my other pants!’ Then he looked up. ‘Wait, a note?’    

‘Yes, a note? You know? Those pieces a paper you write on using ink? Truly a brilliant invention if I may say so!’ Loki said heavily sarcastically.    

‘No, I figured I didn’t have to, I was gonna text him!’ Peter said in a haze of panic, quickly slamming open the bedroom door again once he found out his phone could not even reach Midgard. ‘Come on, we have to go, now!’    

‘Oh please, there is no point in hurrying now,’ Loki sighed and he shrugged. ‘What do those extra five minutes matter? You already are a dead man anyway.’    

‘But...’ Peter stammered as he looked at his friend, after which he sighed deeply and nodded. ’I guess you’re right... You got everything you needed?’    

‘Yes, I have no reason to stay here any longer.’    

‘Then let’s go to the rainbow bridge and ask that nice man to send us back,’ Peter said as he quickly paced out of the room, the god merely following him with a smile. 

 

* * *

 

 

‘Man, I'm beat...’ Peter sighed as he rubbed his neck, his feet slowly trudging over the Bifröst, which was, for the record, way longer than he remembered.     

‘Yes, today was rather exhausting,’ the raven god agreed as he walked next to the teen. ‘Both physically and mentally,’ he added with a soft chuckle.     

‘I wonder what time it is though,’ Peter said as he looked down, watching all the beautiful colors under his feet.    

‘Well, considering the position of the moon and stars, I would say it is already far past midnight,’ the raven said as he looked at the teen with a warm smile, ‘Not to worry, Peter, it will not be long before we’re home.’       

‘Yeah, can’t wait to jump into my bed. I bet I'll sleep like the dead.’      

‘Like the dead?’ the trickster repeated with a chuckle, ‘Such an odd way of describing your sleep, though it does sound peaceful, to say the least.’      

‘Yes, well,’ Peter started as he looked ahead, ‘you know, because Tony and Steve are going to kill me, I might as well-’ but he then stopped talking to look at the god at his side and noticed the raven wasn’t there. He turned around and saw his friend staring at the night skies. ‘Lokes?’ he called as he walked back, ‘Are you okay?’      

‘Yes, quite,’ the raven said softly as he stared at the countless stars which shone brightly, casting a silver, mystic hue over the two men.      

Peter looked at the stars with a smile on his face, ‘It sure is beautiful out here.’      

‘Asgardian night skies are brilliant and unique,’ Loki said as he could not stop himself from admiring the orbs that were thousands and thousands of miles away. ‘I used to go stargazing with my mother when I was young,’ he said absentmindedly. ‘Every time I could not sleep, I would sneak into her chamber, careful not to wake the Allfather, and, if the nights were bright, we would lie down in the gardens and admire the wonders of the night.’      

‘Really?’ Peter said as he looked at the trickster. ‘I always used to count cars when I couldn’t sleep. Especially red ones, those were my favorites. Colors do get hard to see in the dark though, with the streetlights and all. It’s tricky, but Aunt May always made sure that I wouldn’t miss a single one.’    

‘I see,’ Loki chuckled as he looked at the smiling teen, ‘Your aunt sounds like a very loving lady, Peter.’    

‘Yeah, she is, you should meet her someday Lokes, you know, because we’re... we’re such good friends.’ Peter smiled and he looked up at the skies. He then looked beside him and found himself staring into the deep green eyes of the god, which glistened with starlight, his pale skin making those emeralds stand out even more. Peter smiled as an idea popped into his head.    

‘What, what are you doing?’ Loki asked in confusion as he saw Peter suddenly lying down on the bridge.       

‘Well, I bet it’s not as comfortable as lying in the gardens but,’ Peter started as he lay on his back, trying to get as comfortable as possible, ‘I thought we could do some stargazing before we return home.’ He smiled brightly at the god. ‘Like you said, what do those few extra minutes matter?’     

‘Peter...’      

‘You gonna join me or what?    

At this, Loki smiled. ‘Fine,’ he said with a nod as he lay down next to the teen, followed by a moment of silence.       

‘...Lokes?’ Peter started as he stared at the god for a moment.      

‘Yes?’   

‘Thanks for taking me to Asgard,’ Peter said as he now turned on his side, deciding he’d rather stare at the god than at the countless stars. ‘It was really amazing.’       

Loki stared for a moment at the teen’s dreamlike smile, after which he also turned on his side, their faces now separated by a few inches of chilling air, ‘You are more than welcome. Thank you for staying with me through, well, everything,’ he said as he moved his hand to grasp that of the teen’s. But just as he was about to intertwine his fingers with those of Peter, he decided not to, so he let his hand rest on the bridge between them.      

‘That’s alright,’ Peter smiled gently, accidentally touching the trickster’s hand, but he allowed his own to remain there, their skin slightly touching as their hands now lay next to each other. ‘Can I just call dibs on you now, Lokes?’ he asked absentmindedly.     

‘Dibs?’ Loki asked slightly confused. ‘What does that mean?’    

'Yeah, it, uhm,’ Peter stammered a little, ‘It’s sort of a, I don't know, _claim_. I call dibs on you and I basically say you are mine,’ he quickly mumbled.   

‘Well, Peter, you can keep your “dibs”. I will decide for myself, thank you very much,’ Loki smirked, but as the teen watched him in confusion, he laughed. 'I am not going anywhere, you dunce. There is no need to claim me.’ Loki smiled with a slight blush. ‘Plus, I am quite certain it is forbidden by your law to own people.’    

‘It was a joke, Lokes,’ Peter tried, but eventually he just laughed and shook his head. ‘Never mind.’   

‘I do not deem it wise for the two of you to lie down here any longer.’ Peter and Loki quickly jumped to their feet as they heard a heavy voice, both their heartbeats loudly drumming in their ears. ‘Asgardian nights can get tediously cold,’ Heimdall continued.      

‘Yes, quite,’ Loki managed to speak as he cleared his throat, while Peter merely looked at the towering man with a face as red as a tomato. ‘Quite cold indeed...’ Loki added with a chuckle.     

‘I suggest you return to Midgard. I believe you have comrades who would be more than pleased to see your safe return,’ the man continued as he looked at the two.   

‘Yes,’ Loki agreed, he then looked at Peter and smirked. ‘Beam us up, Scotty.’  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for this chapter, hope you liked it!
> 
> Now, for today's facts, we would like to ask of you to give a royal welcome to ... Odin Borson and Frigga Fjörgynsdóttir~!
> 
>  
> 
> \- Odin Borson
> 
> *Odin married Jane
> 
> Odin and Thor have had quite a few clashes over the course of their Marvel history, most of them coming from Thor being hot-headed and Odin always trying to impart wisdom and patience to him. But in What If #10, Marvel decided to give the bickering father and son duo a little more to fight about - and that's when Odin ended up marrying Thor's long-time love, Jane. Yeah, kind of a dick move. Especially coming from your own father.
> 
> *Odin created mankind
> 
> So this one's a bit controversial when taken into the grand scheme of world religions, but it's important to remember that Odin isn't only a Marvel superhero - he's also an actual god from ancient Norse mythology. As such, it make sense when you consider the myth of Odin and the fact that he is in fact the creator of all human life. That at least helps explain why Thor is so obsessed with saving humanity - he's just continuing what his dad started.  
> In the Marvel version of the myth, the story goes like this: Odin went to Aesheim to create the humans. This displeased his father Bor and so Bor afflicted the humans with suffering. Well, thanks a lot, Bor!
> 
> *Odin once exiled himself
> 
> One punishment Odin is definitely not afraid of inflicting is exile. Exile is a pretty severe punishment - it isolates you completely. The only thing worse than getting exiled would be feeling bad enough that you exile yourself. And that's exactly what Odin did.  
> When Thor died in a battle, it left Odin feeling incredibly guilty for not saving his family, and as a result he exiled himself to Asgard space. Surprisingly, it ended up being Loki who freed him from his self-exile. Geez, man, go easy on yourself.
> 
>  
> 
> \- Frigga Fjörgynsdóttir
> 
> In the comics, Frigga, also called Freyja, is a Vanir and is the adoptive mother of Thor and the biological mother of Odin's other sons, Tyr and Balder. Also, in the comics, Frigga is shown to have not accepted Loki as her own child and even grew to hate him, denying him the right to call her his mother, for his mischief and mayhem against the throne of Asgard. This is opposite her portrayal in the film.
> 
>  
> 
> Master Sorcerer: Frigga learned how to wield Asgardian Magic while growing up in Asgard. She eventually became a highly skilled and formidable sorcerer, with it being her main asset in battle. Frigga taught Loki how to cast illusions, resulting in his exceptional skill in the field of sorcery. The magical abilities she demonstrated was illusion manipulation: Frigga was able to cast extremely convincing illusions of other beings, especially herself. She was able to send a projection of herself to the Sanctuary, used the ability to speak to Loki in his cell, and tricked Malekith with a fake projection of Jane Foster.
> 
> Fun Story!
> 
> In Norse Mythology, Frigga and Odin had a dispute on an upcoming war between two Earthly clans. One clan prayed to the Goddess, asking her for her blessing in the fight, but Frigga knew only Odin could give them this. She talked to Odin, letting him hear the prayers she received, but Odin tells her he wants to bless the other clan with victory.
> 
> After a long quarrel, Odin promised that he would bless the clan he would first lay eyes upon in the early morning. What he didn’t tell her however, is that he knew that his bed was pointed so that if he were to open his eyes, he would first see the clan he favored. 
> 
> Frigga knew of this, excepting his offer nonetheless. Clever as she was, she sneaked into the Allfather’s bedroom in the deep of the night, carefully moving his bed so that if he were to wake up, he would lay eyes on the clan the Goddess favored.
> 
> Frigga 1 – Odin 0
> 
>  
> 
> That's it for today, awesome people! Hope to see you all again in 2 days!  
> Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below!


	23. After Story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone and welcome back to this final chapter of part 2!  
> (but hey! Don't worry! Part 3 is ready to roll!)
> 
> Anyway, please enjoy the cuteness of this chapter which is again, as in Marvel tradition, an after story-chapter!  
> Please give us a few days to we make the final arrangements to launch part 3! :D

**After Story**

‘WE’RE HOME!’ Peter shouted quickly as he threw the door open.     

‘Norns, you sound like a fire alarm, Peter,’ Loki noted as he looked at the nervous teen, raising his hand to cover his ear.    

‘Welcome home, Peter, Loki,’ the voice of Friday sounded as their only reply. ‘I will inform Mister Stark that the search operation can be called off.’    

‘Search operation?’ Loki asked with a raised eyebrow and he looked over at Peter.    

‘Oh, I’m in so much trouble now,’ Peter said, freaking out. ‘Next time I’ll leave a note! I’m going to leave notes everywhere! Aunt May will like them too, I’m sure!’    

‘You mean all those bright colorful papers?’ Loki said as he imagined every part of the house covered in notes and he chuckled. ‘Yes, that will certainly decorate this place quite nicely.’     

‘I don’t know, whatever works,’ Peter shrugged, pacing around restlessly. He then looked at his friend who casually grabbed a glass from the cabinet and poured himself some of Tony’s scotch. ‘You know you’re just making things worse, right?’ he reminded his friend, wondering how on Earth he could stay so calm.    

‘Worse?’ Loki chuckled and he shook his head, ‘Peter, this scenario is already so bad, I cannot even imagine how something like this could possibly make it worse.’ But as his friend looked at him with a worrisome expression, he sighed and poured the alcohol back in the bottle. ‘Happy now?’    

‘How can you be so calm, Lokes?! We're gonna get killed in a few minutes and, and, if Aunt May hears of this then-’    

‘There is no point in worrying about what is going to happen, it will not do you any good,’ the god shrugged, ‘I mean, you can prepare yourself for the worst, I guess, but that is about it. Have you prepared your defense speech yet?’    

‘...No, you?’    

‘Yes, it is quite simple: I can blame you and I do not even have to lie to do so,’ Loki shrugged and he laughed at the teen’s flabbergasted expression.    

‘You’re... You’re not really gonna do that, are you? I will take responsibility for my actions, but, come on, you were there too!’    

‘Not to worry, Peter, even if I were to tell them it is all your fault, they will not believe me,’ Loki said as he smiled a little. ‘Who do you think Anthony would rather believe? You or me?’     

At that moment, the two nearly jumped out of their skin as they heard the front door being slammed open. They turned their gazes towards the direction of the sound, noticing how Tony was taking huge paces towards the two, barely keeping himself from running as his Iron Man suit would do damage to the marble floor. The man did not say a single word, his extremely angered expression speaking volumes.  

‘Good evening,’ Loki merely stated with a smirk, but even the god’s smile faded when he saw the angered expression of his host as machinery had started to take off the playboy’s iconic red and golden suit.    

‘M-m, Mister Stark! Please don’t be mad!’ Peter shouted, already taking some steps back. ‘I wanted to text, I swear! I was going to, but I forgot, because my phone was in my pants and those were in my backpack a-and I was-! Please don’t kill me!’    

‘Are they home?!’ the three heard another voice coming from the front door before Tony could even open his mouth to reply. They turned around, meeting the bright blue worried eyes of the Captain. He ran towards the three and just when Peter flinched and prepared for a thundering speech on responsibility, he felt two strong arms crushing his arms and torso. ‘Thank God you’re safe,’ he heard the Captain state with a sigh.    

‘M-Mr. Rogers...?’ Peter managed to utter as his last breath was almost squeezed out of his lungs.    

The Captain took a step back and looked the teen in the eyes with a stern expression, his hands now on Peter’s shoulders. ‘Don’t ever do that to us again, Peter! You are an Avenger now and there are tons of people who are not happy to have us around. Now, I don’t want to sound like your babysitter, but if you go away for a day I would like to know where you are and when you will be back. Understood?’    

Peter stared at the blond for a moment in complete silence, but as he noticed the genuine worry in the captain’s eyes, he managed to speak, ‘Y-yes, sir.’   

‘Good,’ Steve sighed with a relieved smile, briefly hugging the teen again. His eyes then met those of the trickster, ‘same for you, Loki. I know you don’t have to, but, please, just let at least _somebody_ know when you’re out, okay?’ 

Loki kept staring at the blond in complete surprise. Not used to this concern and not knowing what to do with it, he simply averted his eyes and stared at the ground.  

‘Yeah, good, excellent,’ Tony said, crossing his arms and looking at Peter and Loki, ‘Now where have you two been, exactly?’    

‘Do not dare to ever leave this house again without telling us so!’ the four men heard another voice thundering through the hallways.    

Loki took a quick step back as he saw who was storming in. ‘No need to make a scene now, brother,’ the trickster warned his fellow Asgardian, who was still charging towards him.    

‘Do not tell me what to do, Loki!’ Thor said and within a second he had his huge arms clasped around his younger brother.    

‘No need to kill me!’ Loki shouted as he conjured a silver dagger in panic, confusing this affection with the punishment he had expected. ‘For Norn’s sake, Thor, let go!’    

‘No!’ Thor said sternly as he now looked his brother in the eye. ‘You disappeared without a trace, again! You had me worried!’    

‘I-’ Loki started, quite taken aback by his brother’s concern, ‘Well, I did not suppose you needed to know my whereabouts.’ But as Thor still looked him angry in the eye, he tried again, ‘I, I am sorry, Thor, truly... It was not my intention to worry you...’ he smiled carefully, quickly making the dagger in his hand disappear again before Thor could notice he was planning on stabbing him in the first place. But what could he say, old habits die hard.    

‘... Alright then,’ Thor said, finally smiling again as he hugged his baby brother once more. ‘You may find comfort in the fact that this generous god has forgiven you,’ he quoted Loki with a laugh, hugging the trickster so tightly he raised him of his feet.   

‘I SAID I WAS SORRY!’ Loki shouted in a wheeze as he tried to wriggle himself loose. ‘What else am I to say?!’ At that moment, he noticed his brother had made a joke and he smiled wide and sighed. ‘My, my, how fortunate I am, I cannot believe my luck,’ he said as he finally wrapped one arm around the blond’s waist, ‘Now, will you please put me down?’    

‘Of course, brother,’ Thor smirked and he put his younger brother back on his feet. ‘So, you went to Asgard, I presume?’ the blond continued as he looked at his brother’s garment.   

‘Explains the outfit,’ Tony said and he looked Peter up and down. ‘I have to say, Pete, the outfit makes you look quite...’ The teen looked at him, uncomfortably shifting from one foot to the other. ‘... _Divine_ would be a way of putting it, though it may sound a little weird coming from me, but you look pretty awesome, kiddo,’ the playboy said with a quick wink as he placed a hand on Peter’s head, ruffling his hair.    

‘You think so?’ Peter asked with a bright smile. ‘I, I think the head-thingy is a bit too much, but the old man in the store said it would make me look like a prince,’ he added with an embarrassed blush.    

‘Yeah, it’s quite royal. I would totally wear that, the cape and the boots and stuff, pretty cool.’    

‘Thanks,’ Peter said with a smile. ’So... We’re good?’   

‘Sure.’ Tony smiled as he saw Peter sigh in relief and the playboy looked over at Loki, who was still in his brother’s grip, for Thor had now tightly wrapped an arm around the younger god’s shoulder. ‘But you are grounded, young man, very grounded,’ Tony suddenly continued.    

‘Damn it!’ Peter uttered, instinctively looking over at the captain.    

Steve chuckled and he clasped an arm around the teen’s shoulders, Tony doing the same from the other side of Peter.     

Peter looked at his left, meeting the warm and caring eyes of the blond captain. He then looked at his right, where Tony met his gaze with a proud and loving smile. Suddenly, the teen couldn’t help but smile brightly, wrapping his arms around the waists of the two as a feeling of happiness and gratitude swirled through his body.    

‘So… this is awkward,’ Tony said after a moment, staring ahead.    

‘Yep,’ Steve agreed.  

'Nah, it’s alright,’ Peter said with a smile, looking at the two men. ‘It’s good to be home.’  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s it for the last chapter, we really hoped you like it!
> 
> So, imagine this; It is the 9th of May and four hyperactive fan girls are spamming each other for days with marvel jokes and situations on a groups messenger. Our most brilliant idea being; What if our dearest super heroes would go on blind dates?! Which lead to the following situations:
> 
> Girl: 'so what do you usually do?’  
> Fury: 'saving the mother fucking world'   
> Girl: 'and when your not saving the world?'   
> Fury:'... thinking about how I'm saving the world'
> 
> Or
> 
> Girl: I really like you, I would love to go on a date with you and see where things go from there! ^^  
> Bucky: uh huh, yeah *looks over shoulder  
> Girl: something wrong?  
> Bucky: no, no, nothing. What were you saying again?  
> Girl: that I would love to sp-  
> Bucky: o, wait. Steve's here. Nice meeting you, bye *leaves and stays by Steve's side for the rest of the night
> 
> Or
> 
> Girl: so what else can you do?   
> Drax: I can turn invisible.  
> Girl: Wow can I see?  
> Drax: I'm invisible right now.
> 
> Or (one of my personal favorites)
> 
> Girl: I really love bad boys, so tell me, why did you attack New York?  
> Loki: let's just go with family issues.   
> Girl: …okay *looks over Loki's shoulder ‘who's that? *points at Thor spying on them from a distance behind a large plant*  
> Loki: yes, that would be the mayor part of my family issue *orders a beer *  
> Thor: *jumps up * no baby brother! That is a man's drink! Here, drink this! *hands a Capri-sun   
> Loki: for Norns sake Thor! I think I'm old enough to d-  
> Thor: NO >:( 
> 
> And from those messages, A tale of the Trickster and the Spider was born.
> 
> So, here we are, about half a year and 61 finished chapters later and still going!   
> This is all thanks to you guys. Without your support, we would have never made it this far.   
> At first, we wanted to just write, like, 6 chapters, and that’s it. But you guys were so awesome with all your comments and reviews so we continued! And it is freaking awesome! (You have no idea how much fun we have had writing this, we’ve been wheezing and rolling on the ground quite a couple of times now! XD)
> 
> ANYWAY! What we would like to say is; Thank you! Thank you for all your support and we hope to see you all on Friday for the first chapter of part 3! With more fun facts, new tags, new characters (no oc though) and a lot, A LOT more funny moments between ALL our Avengers!


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